I’ve been spending considerable time on Twitter lately, tweaking it to promote this site. I’ve been following more people and, as a result, reading more Twitter biographies.
Using the word “biographies” seems excessive. A Twitter “biography” is short, like everything else on Twitter. The site gives you 160 characters to work with.
Let’s not go down the path of debating whether Twitter is a smart investment of your time. If you’re debating the value of Twitter, then it’s likely not the right place for you. My experience tells me that, like any marketing tactic, you’ve got to enjoy it for it to work for you (i.e., networking). Don’t mess with it unless it’s enjoyable for you.
However, if Twitter is a game you’re willing to play, then spend a few seconds thinking about your bio paragraph.
What Not to Say in Your Bio
Your Twitter bio, like all of your marketing material, needs to be written from the reader’s perspective. What you think isn’t important. What your reader thinks is critical.
I was reading a Twitter bio just now (the one that inspired this post), and it says “AV Rated.”
That short phrase inspired three questions:
- What is “AV Rated”?
- Is Martindale-Hubbell still a thing?
- Is that worth the 8 characters?
And my well-reasoned answers:
- It’s a rating term from a service known as Martindale-Hubbell. It was kind of like Avvo, but in a printed book instead of online, and the ratings were based on reviews by lawyers exclusively instead of lawyers and clients. Years ago, back when we had a library (that’s an office space where you store books), we had a set of these Martindale-Hubbell volumes that we almost never opened.
- The company still exists. Apparently, it’s in some kind of joint venture now with Internet Brands’ Nolo legal division. Whatever it’s doing isn’t, insofar as I can tell, having any impact on any living human. (But maybe I missed it?)
- Given that you’ve only got 160 characters, does it really make sense to use them on a reference to a rating from a brand that, while apparently still alive, is barely breathing and is nearly invisible? Maybe yes, maybe no.
Whether including that reference makes sense depends entirely on the impact it has on the readers you’re looking to engage on Twitter. Does your audience care? Do they know what “AV Rated” means? Will it affect their interest in following you, responding to you, or building a relationship with you?
Maybe you’re attempting to engage with a bunch of really old lawyers who failed to keep up with technology and continue to find their lawyers in those dusty volumes on the shelf. If that’s the case, I’m kind of thinking that Twitter might not be the best place to find them, but if they’re there, then the AV rating thing makes sense.
The Key to Writing Your Bio
The key to the biography is to put yourself in the shoes of the readers you’re targeting. See the world from their perspective. Take a few seconds and be them instead of being yourself. See what they see. Think what they think. Find out how your words impact them, impress them, change them, and influence the way they see you.
Instead of “AV Rated,” maybe you’d be better off with “Has a dog.” That’s 9 characters instead of 8, but it’s likely to get a much bigger, more positive, and more deeply engaged response from many. Personally, I’m contemplating going with “Bad Mofo” (that’s exactly 8 characters). Know your audience, and use your characters wisely.
