Under Further Review: Three Phrases To Avoid In Your Twitter Bio

Since I assume that many of you reading this are on Twitter, then I think it is also safe to assume that many of you have seen the phrases that I am thinking of.  You look at somebody's bio, maybe to see what they actually do and maybe to see how your friends describe themselves.  Space is precious in that 160 character bio, so it is best to fit as much useful information into those 160 characters as possible especially for personal branding purposes.  Here are three space-wasting phrases to avoid in your Twitter bio:



"My thoughts are my own"
If you need entry-level career advice, then you probably don't have a special intern just for your social media accounts.  And you probably do your own tweeting and thinking, so of course your thoughts are your own.  Plus, on the flip-side of the phrase, whose thoughts would you be taking as your own anyway?  Do you often steal other people's thoughts and take them as your own?  See the can of worms that you have unnecessarily opened?

Instead, use these 20-plus characters to further brand yourself and let those people viewing your bio know what you are all about.  Odds are that you left out a former (or current) employer or a major hobby that you engage in or line about what you aspire to be.  Remember 160 characters isn't a lot, use them wisely!

"Opinions do not reflect those of my employer"
Again, this can safely be assumed.  If you really need to tell people that your opinions do not reflect those of your employer (or anyone else), then you are probably doing something wrong.  We may be in a copy-cat heavy time in terms of new ideas and opinions, but the assumption is that you are thinking for yourself.  Remember the questions that this kind of statement could needlessly provoke.

This statement is even more dangerous considering it wastes 40-plus characters.  Shed those wasted characters in favor of some real substance and a look into who you are.  I thought that this was a good satire of what I think what I see this phrase used:

or this....

"RT ≠ endorsement"

Can we all agree that this does not need to be said anymore?  There are so many great things in the Twitter world that are endorsement-worthy and so many things that are so terrible that you just need to share it with people.  Obviously you don't agree with it all.

Now, there are some employers that require you to have one of these phrases in your bio.  However, that is usually only if you have their name in your profile.  You can make your own choice on whether or not you want to do that, just make sure you know your company's rules.

Now would be a time to scurry to your Twitter page and click that nice, gray "Edit Profile" button if you are guilty of using these three phrases.  Substitute these phrases with something of substance and something that an employer can identify you by.  Saying that your thoughts are your or your opinions are your own is exactly what you're supposed to do, so you don't need to tell people that you're doing it.  Hold on, I need to take a breath really quick.

Can you think of any other space-wasting phrases in Twitter bios?  Please share!

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Kevin Rossi is a pre-junior Drexel Sport Management major with a minor in Communications. Kevin has worked at Double Eagle Golf where he is now Social Media Coordinator and Comcast-Spectacor as their market research intern. Since joining the SMTSU, Kevin has worked his way up the ladder to Vice President. Currently, Kevin is a staff writer for Philahoops.com, and he has joined Temple University Athletics Communications for co-op this spring/summer.  Follow Kevin on Twitter @kevin_rossi.

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