From the Desk of Janet Barclay

Once you’ve signed up for Twitter, the first thing you need to do is set up your profile.

When you choose your user name, keep in mind that it will appear on the messages you post, commonly called “Tweets.” For that reason, you should use something that represents you effectively. Many “Tweeters” use their real name or their business name, but others are more creative in their branding, using a keyword that describes what they do. One of the great things about Twitter is that you can change your user name at any time, and everything automatically updates to your new name so you don’t lose followers.

You are asked to provide your real name as well, and this will appear on your profile. Some people only put their business name or repeat their screen name, but it’s not a good networking strategy. Think of Twitter as a large networking event. Would you be interested in networking with someone who only introduced themselves by their company name? Probably not – networking is about forming relationships with people, not companies. For the same reason, it’s recommended that you use your own photo rather than your business logo.

There is a space on your profile for one web link, so you need to decide where you want people to go. Most people post a link to their business home page, but keeping in mind that at this point they want to get to know YOU, it might make more sense to link to your “About Me” page or your blog. Some people have even set up a special landing page just for this purpose. Again, this can easily be changed at any time, so feel free to experiment.

The other section of your profile is a bio. It’s limited to 160 characters, so you have to be very selective in what you say. Keeping in mind that your Twitter profile isn’t about gaining clients but about attracting followers (who may well become clients down the road), avoid making it a sales pitch, and instead create a compelling message that will make people interested in learning more about you and what you have to say.

The last thing you can do with your profile is customize the design. People typically only see your profile when they’re checking it out to see whether they’d like to follow you, but first impressions are important, so you don’t want to use the boring default settings. You can choose the colours for your page background, sidebar, sidebar border, text, and links. If you want something a little fancier, you can also choose one of 12 patterned backgrounds, or even upload your own. Some users go all out with a completely customized design, often using a free service called TwitBacks, which lets you incorporate a lot more detail that will fit in a standard profile.

It all boils down to personal branding. Your Twitter profile is one more way to show the world who you are. If your profile is boring, you will also seem boring.

Here’s your homework for today:

1. Go and sign up for Twitter, if you haven’t already.
2. Have fun setting up your profile!
3. Come back and leave a link to your profile in the comments so I can follow you.
4. Follow me! If you’re not sure what this means, don’t worry. I’ll be explaining that, and much more, next week.