Advice abounds on how to use social media to advance your career and job search. Beyond reading the volumes of great books, breaking down advice into manageable bites is a smart way to venture into the often-rough social networking waters. Also, choosing one site and really getting your feet wet is helpful to prevent social media overwhelm and scattershot behavior. The following are three snack-size tips to help you get started using the niche-networking site, Twitter.
Tip No. 1: Create a Twitter handle that articulates your value. This may simply mean using your name, particularly if your personal brand and unique value are highly connected to your name. So, @JaneDDoe may just be the perfect draw to brand you. However, if your brand is better exuded through a descriptive representation of what you do, whom you serve, how you serve, and so forth, then consider drawing a visual word picture. The challenge: Creating this handle to represent your brand in just a 15-character limit. But you can meet that challenge. It just takes thought and brainstorming.
Check out these eight examples of personally branded, value-focused and/or descriptive Twitter handles to get your juices flowing:
1. Showing your unique value: @WorkIntegrity (A career transition consultant with integrity)
2. Showing what you do: @bizshrink (A leadership psychologist who grows psychologically savvy leaders)
3. Describing how you help others: @AuntieStress (She undresses your stress by getting to the heart of the cause)
4. Using your name brand: @lizadonnelly (A New York-based cartoonist and writer)
5. Creating a hybrid handle: @RedBaronUSA (A turnaround management and growth strategy expert who uses a company name, RedBaron, and first name, Baron, in the handle)
6. Describing what you do while concurrently using your company name: @Brainzooming (Strategy, innovation, creativity, and social media ideas)
7. Incorporating your name brand plus credential (niche area of focus): @tracystewartcpa (A CPA PFS CFF CFP CDFA, collaborative neutral financial advisor)
8. Emphasizing your personal brand tagline: @ValueIntoWords (A certified master resume writer translating value into words. @Glassdoor career and workplace expert)
To read the rest of my U.S. News, On Careers post, please visit: 3 Bite-Size Tips for Using Twitter in a Job Search.
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Image via eldh on Flickr
Jacqui,
Speaking of getting to the heart, mine is singing. Can you hear it? Thanks for including me in such fine company.
With examples, you clearly demonstrate how to best use Twitter to one’s advantage.
With your blog posts and tweets, you consistently use words to create value for your readers. You say what you mean, and mean what you say.
Hear! Hear!
Warmly,
Marianna
Marianna,
I hear it! Such a sweet song! Thank you for sharing!
Clearly, I value your messages throughout the social media sphere, and it was delightful to weave your Twitter information into this post!
Having met you through Twitter, our mutual blogging endeavors, and recently via Skype, I value the history of our exchanges as well as the conversations to come!
Cheers,
Jacqui