According to Elon Musk, at least 1.5 billion inactive accounts exist on X, formerly Twitter. Statista’s database shows the platform has more than 368 million monthly active users. In other words, over 1.8 billion social media usernames are no longer available to new users on X. How do you choose a Twitter username if this is the case? Although the odds may seem against you, never despair, as this article shows you how to pick a good Twitter handle.
You’ll find several proven tips and examples so that you know where to start. It also contains several solutions on what you should do if a user already has a username you want.
Table of Contents
What Is a Good Twitter Handle?
The first order of business is understanding what is a good Twitter handle. As you may already know, a handle or username is your unique identifier on X. In other words, no one can use it once you associate it with your profile. You include the username after the ‘@’ symbol when you want to mention someone or vice versa. Below are a few characteristics of a good Twitter handle.
1. It Should Be Memorable
One of the many hallmarks of a good username is that it should be easy for anyone to remember. Imagine you want to tag Twitter’s support account in a post as you’re facing an issue. Would you prefer something like @support, which is X’s page for helping its users? Or will it be easier to use @Tw1tt3r$upp0rt?
An easy-to-remember username ensures there’s no friction when people want to search for or tag your profile. They don’t have to use search engines to find your account’s handle.@PlayStation is an excellent example of a username that you can recall easily.
2. It Is as Short as Possible
X allows you to create usernames with a maximum of 15 characters, like @abcdefghijklmno. It should be longer than four characters, i.e., @abcde to be a valid handle. Ideally, you want to keep it as close as possible to the minimum length.
To understand why you should do this, let’s look at how long a post can be on X. If you have X Premium, your tweet can contain up to 25,000 characters. But not everyone is a subscriber, and most people like to stick to the standard 280-character limit.
If you include a long username, i.e., with 15 characters, it only leaves 264 characters (including @ symbol). This means people may have to reduce their content to fit your handle in the post. Sure, they can create a thread as a workaround, but sometimes, the tweet may not call for such a measure.
Look at @bmw, the official Twitter account for the German car manufacturer BMW. When you mention them in a post, you have room for 276 characters. It is more than sufficient to express your opinions.
3. It Is Professional and Relevant
Another characteristic of a quality username is professionalism. In other words, it means the handle doesn’t contain offensive or inappropriate terms and phrases. It may be funny if you’re running a Twitter meme account. But, if you want to use this to establish yourself as an industry expert or influencer, it won’t work.
Similarly, the handle should be relevant to your Twitter profile. People must be able to associate you with your username. If it is random, it affects your profile’s discoverability.
3 Tips To Choose Your First Twitter Handle
It can feel overwhelming to pick your Twitter or X handle for the first time. You must ensure your username fulfills the above characteristics of a good digital identifier. But where do you start? The following three tips should provide a framework to help you choose your first handle on X.
1. Check if the Username From Your Other Social Media Profiles Is Available
Being consistent across multiple social media platforms makes it easier to find your profile. Imagine if you have different usernames for your Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok social media accounts. If a follower on Instagram wants to find you on Twitter, looking for your profile becomes harder.
The best practice is to use the same handle across multiple social media profiles.
2. Your Brand or Real Name Are Excellent Starting Points
If you don’t have multiple social media profiles or the username isn’t available, try your brand or real name. Why? For starters, it creates an association with your personal and digital identity. It improves discoverability, as people tend to search for profiles using the account holder’s name.
Another benefit of including your actual name is that it also appears in the Twitter URL for your profile page. For example, Elon Musk’s Twitter handle is @elonmusk, which is simple, easy to remember, and relevant.
3. Add Your Niche or Industry Expertise in Your X Username
While using your brand or real name is ideal, there is always a chance it may not be available. But that shouldn’t stop you from using this concept, as there is a simple workaround. You include your niche or industry expertise in your X handle.
The benefit of following this naming scheme is that it clearly tells people what your profile is all about. For instance, you offer personal training to anyone who wants to become fit. Including coach or a similar term lets people know what you do by glancing at your profile page. This also works when your posts appear in a user’s feed, as the tweet shows your username.
An excellent example is @AskCoachKev, which gives you all the information you need from the person’s handle.
What Should You Do if Your Twitter Handle Is Unavailable: 3 Easy Solutions
There’s a high chance the first X handle you pick will be unavailable. What should you do if this is the case? One option is to use what the platform recommends, but it may not be something you like. Also, these suggestions often contain random and irrelevant numbers. Well, you can try a few things to see if you can still get a handle you like. Here’s what you should do if your Twitter handle is unavailable.
1. Try a Different Variation Using Not More Than 3 Numbers
Including numbers is the easiest way to see which username is available on X. One solution is to replace certain letters with numbers, which is leetspeak, a popular technique on the internet.You use numbers or special characters to represent alphabets, as highlighted below:
- A = 4
- E = 3
- I = 1
- O = 0
- B = 13 or 8
So, if you want to use the username @emma, it can be @3mma or @3mm4. However, it can be harder to remember than the original username. The trick is to balance numbers and alphabets in your handle carefully.
Another way is to add numbers at the end of the unique digital identifier. Using the previous example, it can be @emma101.
The question is, why should you use only three numbers? Why not add more to make your digital identifier on X unique? Well, too many numbers can make your account look fake. People may assume your profile doesn’t belong to an authentic user, which can drive potential followers away.
Remember, there are always exceptions to this rule, but it’s always better to be on the safer side. For example, @greg16676935420 didn’t follow this rule but is still popular on the platform.
2. Change the Username to a Phrase
Creativity is crucial in helping you find available handles on X. Your name or the username you want may be unavailable. What should you be doing in this instance? An excellent workaround is to change your username and make it a phrase.
For instance, you want to use @joey, but it isn’t available on Twitter. Let’s assume you are a blog post writer and will be using your profile to showcase your expertise. A good Twitter handle in this example will be @joeywritesblogs or @joeyisablogger.
3. Use Words Like Real, Official, This Is, or Something Similar
If there are several usernames similar to the one you want, how do you pick a unique digital identifier? One solution is to use words like real or official. It indicates you are who you say you are, which can help you stand out.
Kevin Hart’s X account uses @KevinHart4real to indicate this account belongs to the American comedian. There is already another user with @kevinhart, so the entertainer had to create something different.
Another example is @OfficialFPL, the real Fantasy Premier League account.
How To Pick a Good Twitter Handle for Brands When the Username Is Unavailable?
If you want to run a brand account on X, pick a professional username. But what if the one that is the name of your business is unavailable? You can ask the person if they are willing to change their handle. However, they may ask to pay them in exchange for this service. Fortunately, you don’t have to go through with this, as there are several ways to bypass this issue.
Below, you’ll find tips on how to pick a good username, even when the one you want is unavailable:
- Include HQ at the end of the handle: Using HQ is an excellent way to show people your profile is the main brand account on X. You can also use this tip if your brand has multiple accounts on the platform. Slack uses @SlackHQ, as there is another user with the username @slack.
- You can use your brand’s location: Add the location of your brand’s office and see whether it is available. This is also handy when you have multiple branches in different places. Also, it can be helpful when your customers want to contact a specific office’s account for help.
For example, PlayStation has different profiles to provide customer support and news relevant to the region, like @PlayStationUK.
Use TweetDelete To Ensure You Don’t Lose Your Good Twitter Handle
Every tip in this article on how to pick a good Twitter handle will help you choose your first username. However, if your posts break the platform’s rules, X will suspend your profile permanently. As a result, you need to create a new account.
The best way to ensure this doesn’t happen is to use TweetDelete. It can remove any post that breaks the platform’s rules before it becomes problematic. This is due to the tool’s auto-delete feature, which removes posts with specific terms. With the bulk-delete utility, delete as many tweets as required. Use TweetDelete to ensure your username is safe from X’s ban hammer!
