What’s in a name? For a business owner, everything. Your business name is often the first introduction of your brand to potential customers. It should be obvious who you are and what you do at first glance.

In the digital age, consumers find your business through various online avenues from a quick Google search to your Facebook page. This is why it’s important that the social media handles for your business are easy to understand and recognize – no matter the platform.

Keep it Short, Sweet & Simple

Short social media handles are well-liked because they’re easy to read and remember. When branding your business on social, try making your handle the same as your business name. For example, Valdez Roofing becomes @valdezroofing.

If your business name is a little long like Mable’s Landscaping & Lawn Repair Inc., try shortening the handle so that it still conveys the M.O. of your business without being too long, for instance: @mableslandscape or @mableslawnco would work great.

When your social media handles are similar to your business name, it makes you easier to find online and gives potential customers a consistent impression of your brand.

Make it Unique to You

Some social media handles are too generic to be memorable or so generic that someone else already has it. You can get creative by including underscores between words or adding geographic text like city names or state abbreviations.

  • @phoenixhvac
  • @yankee_vacuum_repair
  • @tomscarpet_tx

Remember, it’s OK to stray from your business name, but don’t stray so far that consumers won’t understand what the business is about. Take a look at some examples below:

  • @mechanicmasters – This is obviously an auto shop
  • @courtroomwarrior – A great handle for a criminal defense lawyer
  • @stopandsmelltheroses – A little long, but still catchy and most likely belongs to a florist

Consistency is Key

Now that you’ve narrowed down the options for your social media handles, you need to keep them consistent across all platforms. If your Twitter handle is @thecupcakeking, try to secure the exact same handle on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and others.

However, this is not always doable. In cases where you have to use two different social media handles for your business, make them as close as possible to avoid confusion. For instance, we use @thryv and @getthryv on our social medial platforms.

Social sites like Twitter and Instagram will let you change your handle as much as you want, so you don’t have to lock in your first choice when creating a new social profile.

If you’re having trouble deciding which social media handle gives your business the best first impression, ask friends, family and even loyal customers what they think.