If you attended MarketingProfs' Digital Marketing Mixer, you would have heard keynote speaker Gary Vaynerchuk bemoan his choice of Twitter ID: GaryVee. In retrospect, he said, the handle—chosen quickly for reasons he can't recall—doesn't really fit his personal brand.

Vaynerchuk might have benefited from a recent post at the Web Ink Now blog, in which David Meerman Scott gives advice for personal branding at the microblogging site. "Most Twitter pages don't say enough and most have crappy design," he says. "While that's fine if you're just communicating with friends, if you care about your personal brand, you need to do better. Much better." Here are a few of Meerman Scott's very best pointers:

• Use your 160-word bio to build your brand. Under no circumstances should you leave it blank, but neither should you simply tick off your roles and accomplishments. "Try to be descriptive," says Scott. "And try to be specific."
• Include a photograph of yourself. "Remember, the photos appear very tiny on Twitter," he notes, "so use a close-up shot."
• Choose a background image with care. Skip Twitter's in-house selection and go with a custom shot that only you will have—Scott has a close-up of his old typewriter.
• Don't protect your updates. It's hard to meet new people if they can't see you.

Your Marketing Inspiration: "This stuff is really easy and important for your personal brand," says Scott. "If you are on Twitter, take the time to make some changes today."

More Inspiration:
Eliane Fogel: Give Something Back this Holiday Season
Paul Dunay: Crowds Have No Leaders!
Ann Handley: 9 In the Morning

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