Here’s how to pick a username for social media when yours is already taken or if you just need a few ideas on how to pick a good username. Using your real name on social media is important, especially if you’re a personal brand since it allows you to have a deeper connection with people.
But unfortunately, if you have a common name, that’s not always possible. People that were already there before you might already be using your preferred username.
If that’s the case, I hope that one of these 11 methods can help you to pick a good username for social media so you can use it across all social media platforms and make your branding consistent.
How To Pick A Username For Social Media
Use an initial - If your real name is already taken, the first thing you can try is to use an initial. You can use the initials of your first name, last name or your middle initial to make your social media username unique. A good example is the author of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, Stephen Covey. His Twitter username is @StephenRCovey.- Use determiners – Determiners, like the words ‘the’, ‘this’ and ‘that’, can be used to turn your duplicate username into a unique standout. That’s what Seth Godin did with his username, @ThisIsSethsBlog. Here are some other good username examples: @TheAntonioSmith, @ThatSusanRobinson, @TheRealWilmaFlintstone.
- Use your career - Your name + your career = Brand You! Are you a PR maven? Try @PRJaneSmith. A wellness coach? How about @FitMelindaThompson?
- Use an underscore – You could also try using an underscore in your username in case it’s already taken. You could use one or two underscores like one at the start or in the middle, or one at the end like _chamtang, cham_tang, chamtang_ or _chamtang_.
Use your nickname – If your name is super long and it’s hard to spell or remember, use your nickname. Just like what the author of “Crush It”, Gary Vaynerchuk, did with his username @garyvee.- Add the word ‘real’ or ‘official’ – For example, my usernames on Facebook and YouTube are ‘ChamTangOfficial’ because it turns out, my name is not that unique! You could also add ‘real’ to your username to separate you from the fake accounts out there, like @realDonaldTrump.
- Add the words ‘I AM’ or ‘IM’ – Use them before your name to create a unique username, just like American rapper and actress Queen Latifah’s Twitter handle @IAMQUEENLATIFAH.
- Add the word ‘its’ – Adding the word ‘its’ could help you create a distinctive username just like @its_guythompson or @itsmenickysmithy.
- Use your website – If your website ends with a ‘.com’ or ‘.org’, you could spell out those words and add a ‘dotcom’ or a ‘dotorg’ at the end of your username. It’s also a great way to direct people to your website.
However, if like us, your website ends with a ‘.com.au’, using this method would just make your username too long and unmemorable.
- Add a formal title – You can add a ‘Mr’, ‘Miss’, ‘Mrs’, ‘Sir’, ‘Dr’, etc. to the beginning of your first name or last name to make it unique just like @DrGaryChapman or @drkerrynphelps.
- Include a memorable phrase – Create a memorable phrase and incorporate that into your username. Some examples are @FionaWritesBooks or @JackPlaysMusic.
Other Tips On How To Choose A Username For Social Media
Hope you like those tips on how to choose your username. Here are a few more. As mentioned in the first part of this post, it’s good if you can pick just one social media username that you can use everywhere so that you can keep your branding consistent. This will allow people to easily find you on social media.
It would be so much easier to tell people to go to just one username rather than having three different names on three different platforms.
Also, if you can, create a username that’s really easy to spell. You want to be able to say your username during live events or interviews, and people are going to instantly know how to spell it.
Having a username that anyone can spell will make it a lot more memorable and you won’t have to explain how to spell it every time you tell it to someone.
Another good tip is if your business is a personal brand, use your first name in your username. The reason for this is if you’re going for a very personal brand, you want your audience to relate to you on a personal level, and if they know your first name, that would be a lot easier to do.
You could then incorporate a fun nickname after your first name like some of the famous YouTubers such as Lauren Beauty, Jefree Star or Jenna Marbles.
Since they have their first name in their usernames, their followers call them Lauren, Jefree or Jenn, which makes them feel like they’re talking directly to them.
But if you choose one like Successful Sydney Coach, it’s so much less personal. It’s harder to build a personal brand and make a connection.
In Conclusion
We hope that this blog post, “How To Pick A Username For Social Media”, will help you to find that perfect username that you love. Just use the methods above to help you find that unique and memorable username to help you grow your brand.
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