The Anatomy of a Twitter Bio Optimized for Social Selling

You might think your Twitter bio doesn't matter much. After all, you only have 160 characters to work with -- a mere 20 more than a tweet. How good can you really make it?

It's true that your Twitter bio is brief, but that doesn't mean it's worthless. Salespeople incorporating Twitter into their social selling strategies need to optimize their Twitter bios just like their LinkedIn profiles. As a rule of thumb, you should strive to present a trustworthy and knowledgeable front anywhere your target buyer could potentially find you. 

So how can you juice the most value out of your 160 characters? Here's the breakdown of what a Twitter bio optimized for social selling looks like. 

Let's dig into each of the components.

1) Picture

Just like LinkedIn, your Twitter profile should feature a recent, professional photo. No eggheads, please.

2) Value Proposition

Merely inserting your title isn't terribly interesting. Use the first line of your Twitter bio to showcase your value proposition. Who do you help and how do you help them? This is a lot more informative and appealing to prospects than "sales rep at Company X."

3) Company Twitter Handle

If your company is on Twitter, make sure to link to their handle somewhere in your bio. This way, your profile will pop up when people search for your organization.

4) Mini Insight 

Today's top salespeople don't just take orders from prospects -- they actually teach them something new. Give your prospects a taste for the consultative and insightful sales experience they can expect when doing business with you by offering a mini insight in your bio. Since you don't have a lot of room to work with, skew toward simple and attention-grabbing. An eyebrow-raising statistic does the trick.

5) Hashtags 

Your Twitter bio is searchable, so make sure to include a handful of hashtags your target buyers might track. 

6) Personal Tidbit

Finding space for a non-work interest helps your audience connect with you on a personal level. 

7) LinkedIn Link

Your Twitter bio should link to your LinkedIn profile, and vice versa. Make it easy for potential buyers to find you on all your social channels.