PR people: Fix your Twitter profile

I use this photo for the background of my Twitter profile page. Keep in mind, only a fraction of the image fits in most browsers. (That's better than the blank margin spaces which shows up if you use a small image.)

For many reporters, particularly younger ones, Twitter has become their Rolodex. (And, by the way, the really young ones don’t know what a Rolodex is.)

With that in mind, if you work in public relations and you use Twitter for work, you really need to fix up your Twitter profile. Here are three quick tips:

Use a decent headshot photo. Reporters and everyone else want to see your face and know who they are talking to. So make sure your handsome mug is filling the frame and that your eyes aren’t hidden by sunglasses and the like. When you meet someone in person for the first time, it’s not a bad thing when they recognize you from your photo.

Complete your bio. Reporters working on deadline appreciate this. Include your email, phone number and website or blog URL. Clearly identify that you’re a spokesperson and who you work for. Since I’ve done this, I’ve gotten quite a few unsolicited calls from reporters who found me on Twitter.

Leverage your background image. I use a photo of my office which shows the Sprint logo. That helps reinforce with reporters that I’m a Sprint spokesman. Other people use the left margin of their image to include their contact information or user names on other social networks. This is good, too, but remember Twitter doesn’t index those details in their search function, neither do search engines. That’s why it’s important to keep that in your bio. (I just Googled the terms “Sprint spokesman” — my Twitter profile page was near the top of the list.)