- Welcome to The Journey.
Today we're gonna talk about how to claim
your social media profiles, and why you should do it now.
Whether you wanna start a business,
or maybe you plan on becoming a social media influencer,
or you just thought of the best handle ever,
either way, you should go grab your coveted name now,
even before you create your business,
launch a website or register your domain.
And if you haven't grabbed your desired handles yet,
especially if you're already doing business,
well, you're already behind.
- But first, here's how to get the right handles.
Assuming you don't already know,
you'll need to keep it to 15 characters or less.
Also, it shouldn't be too clever, too long or hard to spell.
However, choosing a completely original brand name
can improve your chances of securing the perfect handle
across multiple platforms.
A relatively short, and to-the-point handle contributes
to the clean and memorable social media branding.
It should be quick and easy to say and spell,
so your ideal customer can find you better.
- And then be sure to check each social platform
to see if your desired handle is available.
And thanks to sites like KnowEm,
you can check the availability of your username
on multiple social sites at one time,
which is super efficient, therefore I love it.
And most offer the option to create your profile
on each of those sites for a fee.
Now, let's say it's not available on one platform.
Well, go back to step one.
But if your top handle choices were taken,
and you're just like totally set
on having that one in particular,
I would encourage you to try a couple of things.
One, use an acronym or initials.
Also, adding the word real or official
could help you out as well.
And if you're going to be using
a variation of your brand name,
keep it consistent on every account.
Twitter, Instagram, Facebook,
and again, that's the whole point, right?
And additionally, avoid using punctuation, if possible.
That's how you get typos.
- And once you found a handle
that you can secure across all platforms,
create an account with each,
then upload a profile picture, along with a brief bio.
That way, if it's discovered before you're active,
your followers know it's you.
And even if you don't intend to use it right away,
best to have it optimized and ready to go when you are.
- So why you need to grab it before it's gone?
Well, let's say you're considering a company name
like Coffee and Kickflips.
Well, you're gonna want your social media handles,
all of them, across various platforms,
to be @coffeeandkickflips.
For the sake of the example, on Twitter, it's already taken,
even worse, it appears to be in an active account.
Oh, frustrating, I know, too bad, so sad.
Even if they're not using it, the name is claimed,
but this can cause you more trouble than you think.
- Now, the thing, I think, that most of us have gotten to,
with those names that are already taken,
it's username squatting.
So Cybersquatting, also known as the username squatting,
is registering an account with the intent to sell it
to an interested party, usually at a super inflated price.
Parents are even securing social media handles,
profiles and email addresses for their children,
even before they're born,
just to ensure they can have those names
when they're growing up.
The same can be said for personal domains too.
So you should be aware that different social media platforms
respond to allegations of impersonation
and usernames squatting differently.
Because there are really no uniform requirements
regarding the registration of usernames,
social media platforms are free to exercise
varying degrees of control or involvement
when it comes to the registration of usernames.
For example, Twitter may remove accounts
that are inactive for more than six months,
and on Facebook, your page
could become unpublished for inactivity.
- Next up, what to do if someone had a handle
that, let's say, you trademarked.
Well, trademark infringement is not the same
as impersonation or username squatting.
While impersonation and username squatting
is undoubtedly related to trademark infringement,
there are distinctions here.
For example, in its rules and policies,
Twitter says if an account has had no updates,
no profile image, there's no intent to mislead.
It typically means
there's no name-squatting or impersonation.
And Twitter goes on to state
that unless the report involves a claim
of trademark infringement,
it will not release inactive or squatted usernames.
So if you legally own that name,
you might be able to contact the social media platforms
or the person who currently owns the handle
to hopefully secure it for yourself.
However, this isn't necessarily the best case.
With trademark names,
you might want to consult your attorney.
However, trademark or not, don't try to purchase the handle
from someone who got it first.
Purchasing and selling social media handles
is explicitly stated as a violation
of terms of nearly every social media platform ever.
- Social media accounts can play an important role
in your company's marketing plans.
These networks allow you to connect with your customers
in unique and meaningful ways.
So therefore, while it can take a little bit of time
to go through each network and create new accounts,
it's definitely a worthwhile investment.
- All right, that's a wrap.
Be sure to like, comment and subscribe to our channel.
And hey, the journey doesn't stop here.
Check out our other videos, we have over 200.
I hope you enjoy them.
And until next time, this is The Journey.