Every morning, I log into my Twitter profile and peruse my new followers, deciding which to give a closer look. (To clarify, by “closer look,” I mean clicking on a user’s name or image to see his/her latest tweets.) The users I choose to give a closer look have two things in common: No. 1, a nicely designed logo or professional headshot, and No. 2, an interesting and informative bio. In all, I’d estimate followers have less than three seconds to impress me enough to click through and see their tweets.
Most businesses on Twitter today have caught on to the whole logo as your default picture thing. (The really savvy ones are featuring their CEOs or other leaders in company personas.) However, I’m surprised at how often I see poorly written, bland, generic, even missing bio copy. The fact is, if you’re not putting effort into your business’ Twitter bio copy, you’re missing an opportunity to attract and drive the right people to your website.
The good news is it’s never to late to rework your business’ Twitter bio copy. Here, I share a few of my best tips for sprucing up business Twitter bio copy to attract leads and, ultimately, help drive sales.
- Be Brief: If there’s one thing “Mad Men” has taught me – aside from how to order suavely named drinks – it’s that, in advertising, there’s always a line…and that line is usually a heck of a lot shorter than 160 characters. So think long and hard to uncover precisely what it is you want to say, then slash that line in half. Check out Zappos and Whole Foods Market for really great brief bio examples. Iconic taglines, à la Nike’s “Just Do It,” work well as bios, too.
- Explain What You Tweet About: Nothing is more annoying than following a business that claims to discuss one topic but, in reality, tweets about anything but that topic. Use your bio to clearly state what Twitter followers can expect to see in their feeds.
- Say What You Want to Be Known For: At Kuno Creative, we have one client that offers a seemingly endless list of services for email marketers. Instead of cramming the company’s plethora of services into the Twitter bio, we had a strategic discussion with the client to discover what service the company truly wants to be known for, then edited the bio accordingly. The lesson? If you offer a multitude of products or services, don’t be afraid to cut the list down. Think of it this way: Coca-Cola, a leading big brand in content marketing, wouldn’t list all of its beverage offerings in its Twitter bio.
- Be Original: Avoid pulling and plugging exact copy from your website, boilerplate or other social media channels. Yes, your bio copy can be similar to copy on these other online resources, but you should always strive to create something new for your audiences. Along the same lines, do not use quotes in your business Twitter bio copy unless they are from a current or former company CEO or other prominent leader or a well-known reporter or reviewer. (Example: Disney)
- Inject Personality: At some point, I should probably point out that this post was inspired by Neil Vermilion’s LOL-worthy bio copy. (See his bio above, or see him on Twitter @AudienceCreator.) For me, Neil was a no-brainer follow—he had me at EUPA. And while Neil is a person and not a business, that doesn’t mean businesses can’t apply his wit to their bio copy. (Example: Starbucks)
- Include a CTA: Sure, you want to increase your followers, but that’s not your ultimate goal. Social media is merely a tactic to drive leads to take action, whether that action is to visit your website, download your content or follow your hashtag. Use your bio copy to get more from your followers. (Example: Kraft Foods)
- Give it to Me Straight, No Chaser: If all else fails, give it to me straight. What does your company do? What are you known for? A concise, relevant bio will most likely get your intended audience to click through to your tweets. (Example: General Electric)
Remember, great copy takes tweaking. If your new business Twitter bio copy isn’t getting the response you desire, rework it until it’s just right. What are your tips for better business Twitter bio copy? Add your suggestions in the comment section!
