The first account you register should ideally be your own name if you can get it.
Less than 15 characters would be best.
It isn’t absolutely critical that you register your own name, but I would advise you to if it is available, particularly if your name is an unusual one. I’m sure the last thing you want is someone else impersonating you on Twitter, or anywhere else for that matter.
On a side note: I discovered an insider secret (on Twitter of course!) on how to claim your brand username across all of the various social media networks. This User name Discovery Tool can help you keep your brand continuity across all of the social media sites. It’s a useful tool created to assist you with expanding your brand visibility.
All you need to do is perform your search and then proceed to set up any or all sites. You could pay for it to be done for you if you choose. It is not an automated service either, because that would violate many of the sites policy. They do not retain your password information and they send you a confirmation email when each site is registered. If it were me, I’d supply them a common password and then go back in upon confirmation, click on the link in the email and change my password for each one. That would guarantee your security. Simple!
Okay back to your user name…Many people do not use spaces but they do capitalize the first letter of the first and last name. Naturally, common names like JohnSmith will already be taken. However it is possible to get variations on your own name such as John_Smith, or John_Smith23 or some variation like that. You can only use an underscore in a username. Hyphens are not permitted.
If you wish to register a business name, then you can do that of course. It all depends on your brand. Another way to brand yourself would be to combine part of your real name with your business. Remember, this is how you will be identified on Twitter. Then be sure to use your real name where it asks in the sign up process. This will keep you connected and identifiable with the business name you register. I prefer to keep my brand consistent across all of the social media platforms so keep this in mind when choosing your name.
If your name was Bob Smith and your blog was about business, a great username could be @BobsBizBlog. That user name would be displayed next to his avatar like mine is in the example below. Bob’s real name would be displayed on his twitter page in the upper right hand corner where it says Name: right above the Location, Web & Bio information. My business name and real name just happen to be the same. My user name next to my avatar does not contain a space between my first and last name. Where you see my real name you will notice there IS a space.
lf someone where to view Bob in there follower or following list it would look like: Bob’sBizBlog / Bob Smith. (If you click anyone’s follower or following tabs you will see the user name and their real names, or least what they entered in under the guise of their real name.) It’s always advisable to make it memorable and if possible, easy to spell. For those of you using Twitter to communicate with a local market think how memorable @AmyBestPhotos would be. If Amy sent helpful, relevant tweets and demonstrated why her photography is the best, who would you think of when your family is ready for that Christmas portrait?
I guess you got 2 tips in 1 from this post
Dedicated to your success!
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