TwitterBox Update: Show Your Mama Raised You Right by Completing Your Profile

Writer Sam Ewing said, “The fastest way to meet new people is to pick up somebody else’s change at a cocktail bar,” but Twitter didn’t exist at the time. Now Twitter makes it much easier to meet lots of exciting new people with common interests (without risking your physical well-being by handling money that’s been God knows where or starting a barroom brawl), but just because you’re online and not face-to-face doesn’t mean that you can skip an old-fashioned, good-mannered introduction.

The best and most polite way to introduce yourself on Twitter is to complete your profile and upload a profile picture, even if the picture is more about your brand than your actual face. I personally identify more with a picture of somebody’s face, even if it’s your Maltipoo’s mug. A Twitter user with no profile picture or profile information is a little like meeting a man with a ski mask in a dark alley. You’re less inclined to feel sociable (or like following or being followed), and more inclined to run.

Providing profile information within the very short 160-character limit takes less time than brushing your teeth, and is just as rewarding as fresh breath when meeting someone new in person. If you’re using Twitter to network with others like yourself, tell them who you are – honestly, simply and with just a dash of humor if you’re feeling inspired. You only have 20 words or so to make yourself appealing, memorable -- and non-threatening.

If writing a thank you note to your own grandmother triggers writer’s block, here are some examples of how to write a basic profile description using a simple formula: list your occupation, a hobby or interest, and a fun fact about yourself or a fun quote that describes you.

Mortician, stamp-collector, lives with 78 y/o mother, "Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they won't come to yours." ~ Yogi Berra.

Hazmat technician, duct tape artist, “I am the lizard king. I can do anything.” ~ Jim Morrison

Paralegal, kid chauffeur, thinks wearing dog hair is cool, “Best way to get rid of kitchen odors: Eat out.” ~ Phyllis Diller

I admit the hazmat technician profile would scare me a little, but you get the point. Make new Twitter friends by introducing yourself and expressing your individuality – without coming across like a crazed serial marketer.

For more tips about creating a great Twitter profile, see “6 Tips for Using Your Twitter Profile to Get New Followers” at TwiTip, a blog edited by Darren Rouse (@ProBlogger on Twitter) which provides up-to-the-minute advice for being a good Twitterer (and making your mama proud).
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Prior Practical Paralegalism Twitterbox Updates:
Going Back to “Twollege”
Cat Got Your Tweet?
Use Twellow.com to Locate Twitterers in Your Professional Niche
I Enter the Twitosphere, Or Become One of the Tweeple