5 Types Of Phrases To Avoid In Your Twitter Bio

Filling out your Twitter bio isn't as easy as it sounds. For many people, describing themselves can be even harder than public speaking. Your Twitter bio is an important part of how you identify yourself, though, so you've got to give it a little thought if you want to attract the right followers and connect with the right accounts. Here are five types of phrases you should avoid in your bio if you want to leave a good impression. Expert, guru, ninja OK, so you're great at Twitter. You're a pro when it comes to updating your Facebook status. But calling yourself a "social media ninja" goes a bit too far. Be honest in your bio, and try to avoid filler descriptions that don't really mean anything. When you think about it, anyone can call themselves an expert - go farther than this and explain why you're an expert, by including your profession, experience or accolades. Claiming to be a "something" guru isn't really helpful to your followers, and it sounds a bit like you don't know what you're talking about. So be more specific and avoid these fluffy descriptors. [Blank] Leaving your bio blank is a big no-no on Twitter. It will turn people away from your account for two main reasons: They can't quickly assess what you tweet about to see if they'd be interested in connecting with you They think you're a spambot A blank bio doesn't offer any information about you, your topics of interest, or your reason for being on Twitter. And since many spammers leave their bios blank (presumably because they're too busy setting up the next spambot account), a blank bio puts you firmly in this category. I love ice cream and kittens and hot air balloons and coffee and... Your bio should clearly describe who you are on Twitter. Sure, you might think it's cute that you're a gamer girl, but if that's something you won't really be tweeting about, it probably doesn't belong in your bio. Too often I see bios that make me believe someone is interested in a certain topic, only to find that their last 20, 40, 100 tweets have nothing to do with anything they wrote in their bio. Adding one or two interesting tidbits about your life is fine, but be sure the focus remains on why you're on Twitter and what value you offer your followers. I follow back Everyone has a different philosophy when it comes to following people back on Twitter. Some believe it's the polite thing to do, others only follow those accounts they are genuinely interested in, regardless of who is following who. But you can bet that by advertising "I follow back" in your Twitter bio, you're sending scores of potential new followers running for the hills. By saying you follow back, you're indicating that you are all about the numbers: your main concern on Twitter is increasing your number of followers. Even if this is your philosophy, it's best to leave it out of your bio and use those freed-up characters for something more productive. I am 2 cute and luv rihanna 4 lyfe! Ugh. Please, please use proper grammar and spelling in your Twitter bio, especially if you're using your Twitter account in any professional capacity. Nothing grates on the eyes more than "text-speak" in a Twitter bio, a lack of punctuation, or unintelligible gibberish. Sure, 160 characters is a small space to work with, but use some creativity and come up with a bio that's short, sweet, and spelled properly. Do you have any other Twitter bio tips? We'd love to hear about them in the comments below. (Bad image via Shutterstock)

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5 Types Of Phrases To Avoid In Your Twitter Bio

Lauren Dugan

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Lauren Dugan