How to Write Social Media Handles

Your social media handle is more than just a username, it’s the virtual front door to your brand. It’s what people type to find you, tag you in a Story, or shout out in a recommendation. This guide will walk you through how to choose a memorable handle, what to do when your first choice is inevitably taken, and how to maintain brand consistency across all of your platforms.

Why Your Social Media Handle Matters So Much

It's easy to dismiss your social handle as a minor detail, but it's one of the most foundational pieces of your online identity. It acts as your digital address and business card all in one. A great handle makes you discoverable and builds brand recognition, while a confusing one can unintentionally create friction for potential followers, customers, and collaborators.

Think about it: your handle appears everywhere. It's in your profile URL, it's how others tag you in photos and comments, and it's what you'll put on your marketing materials, from business cards to podcast introductions. A simple, strong handle like @glossier or @thedad is effortless to remember and share. A clunky, complicated one like @jenny_bakes_cakes-nyc_1998 puts the burden on your audience to remember and type it correctly - a burden they likely won't take on.

The Anatomy of a Perfect Social Media Handle

The best social media handles share a few core traits. They aren't just random strings of characters, they are crafted to be strategic branding assets. As you brainstorm, aim for a handle that checks as many of these boxes as possible:

• Short and To the Point: The less someone has to type, the better. Shorter handles are easier to remember, fit better into bios and designs, and are less prone to typos. Strive for clarity and brevity. For example, @nike is infinitely stronger than @nikesportswearofficialus.
• Memorable and Catchy: Does it stick in your mind? The goal is to be instantly recognizable. Unique spellings can sometimes work if they are core to your brand name (like @Lunya), but most of the time, standard spelling wins. A handle that rolls off the tongue is easier to share via word-of-mouth.
• Relevant to Your Brand: Your handle should give people a clue about who you are or what you do. It could be your name, your business name, or directly related to your niche. @beardbrand leaves no doubt about their market, and @mariekondo clearly centers on her personal brand.
• Easy to Pronounce and Spell: This is a big one. Before you commit, say your potential handle out loud. Is it clear? Or do you have to explain it? Avoid hyphens (not allowed on many platforms), complicated number sequences, or purposeful misspellings that force people to guess. A handle like @writersbloc might look clever, but telling someone to follow you becomes "writer's block but with no k and c at the end." That's friction.
• Future-Proof: Don’t tie your handle to something that will become dated. For example, @carlosdesigns2024 already has an expiration date. What happens in 2025? Choose a handle that can grow with you and your brand for a long time.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing Your Handle

Coming up with the right handle is part creativity, part strategy. Follow these steps to move from a blank slate to a final choice you can be proud of.

Step 1: Brainstorm Your Core Identity

Start by creating a simple list of keywords associated with your brand. Don't self-edit yet, just get everything down. Consider these categories:

• Your Name: If you're a personal brand, this is your starting point. (e.g., Jane Smith, Dr. Evans, Coach Carter)
• Your Business Name: The official name of your company or project. (e.g., Summit Coffee, The Good Loaf Bakery, Evergreen Marketing)
• Your Niche or Industry: What do you do? Who do you serve? (e.g., vintage furniture, vegan recipes, freelance writer, Minneapolis realtor)
• A Key Benefit or Value: What do you help people achieve? (e.g., calm, grow, simplify, organize)

Now, start combining these ideas into potential handles.

• For Personal Brands: Try variations of your name. @janesmith, @janesmithwrites, @heyjanesmith.
• For Business Brands: Stick to your business name if possible. @summitcoffee, @thegoodloaf.
• For Niche Brands: Combine your topic with a power word. @simplyvegan, @vintagehomefinds.

Step 2: Check for Availability (The Sobering Reality)

Here's where things get tricky. More than a billion accounts exist on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, so there's a good chance your first, second, and even tenth choice will already be taken. Your goal is to find a handle that's available on all the platforms you plan to use, both now and in the future.

Instead of manually checking each app, use a username checker tool like Namechk or Checkuser. These sites let you enter a desired handle and instantly see its availability across dozens of social networks. Make a list of your top 5-10 brainstormed handles and run them through one of these tools. This will save you a massive amount of time and frustration.

Step 3: What to Do When Your Perfect Handle is Taken

Don't panic when your primary choice isn't available. This is the most common hurdle everyone faces. Instead of giving up and picking something random, use it as an opportunity to get creative with strategic additions.

Tweak It With Brand-Friendly Words

Small prefixes or suffixes can unlock availability without compromising your brand identity. They often add a layer of context as well.

• Use an action verb: Words like "Get," "Join," or "Try" are great for software, services, and communities. Think @getflywheel or @joinbubble.
• Add a location: If your business is local, this is a perfect solution. @pizzaporta becomes @pizzaportanewhaven. It makes you even more discoverable to your target audience.
• Include "HQ," "Co," or "Inc": These signal you're the official headquarters or company. @basecamp uses @basecampHQ, and many small studios use "Co" like @loomandkilnco.
• "Team" or "App": For teams or software companies, adding "team" (like @teampixel) or "app" (like @calmapp) is a clear and simple fix.
• Start with "The": It's a classic for a reason. @therock is simple and authoritative. It can make a brand feel more established.

Double Down on Your Niche

Get specific about what you do. If @jennaaustin is taken, try aligning your handle more closely with your professional expertise.

• @jennaaustinwrites if you're an author
• @coachjennaaustin if you're a coach
• @jenna.designs if you have a design business

This not only solves the availability problem but also tells new visitors exactly what to expect from your content.

A Note on Punctuation: Periods and Underscores

Periods and underscores can also open up options. For example, if @wildflowerbakery is taken on Instagram, @wildflower.bakery might be free. However, there's a catch: different platforms have different rules.

• Instagram allows periods.
• X (Twitter), TikTok, and Facebook do not allow periods in handles.

This means your handle can't be perfectly identical everywhere if you use a period. The underscore "_" is a more universal option, as most platforms support it. A single underscore is perfectly fine (e.g., @wildflower_bakery). But try to avoid stacking them (@wildflower_bakery_nyc) as it starts to look messy and becomes difficult to say out loud.

Best Practices for Maintaining Handle Consistency

Consistency is your best friend when it comes to branding. Having the same - or a very similar - handle across different platforms makes it ridiculously easy for your audience to find you everywhere else.

Imagine seeing a great TikTok and thinking, "I wonder if they're on Instagram?" Your first instinct will be to search for the exact same handle. If it's different, you've created a dead-end and potentially lost a follow.

Here’s what to do:

1. Secure your handle everywhere at once. Even if you aren't planning to post on YouTube or Pinterest today, grab your handle there to save it for a future you. This also prevents other people from grabbing it and impersonating your brand.
2. If your exact handle isn't available, create a consistent pattern. For example, let's say your main handle is @sunstoneandclay, but that's taken on X. You could opt for @sunstoneclay (no "and") or @sunstoneclayco. As long as it's logically connected, people will figure it out.
3. Link between profiles. Use your bio on each platform to link to your other accounts. This creates a clear pathway for your followers to connect with you everywhere.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these common handle pitfalls that can hurt your brand's growth and professionalism:

• Numbers and symbols: Unless a number is part of your brand name (e.g., @99designs), avoid strings of numbers. @sarahbrennan87 feels far more personal and less professional than @sarahbrennancreative. Too many symbols like "_ -" or "x xo" look messy and can be flagged as spammy by algorithms.
• Making it too long: Anything over about 15 characters starts to get hard to remember and will get cut off in tags and bios. Keep it concise. @yourbrandname beats @youramazingbrandnameofficial every time.
• Tying it to a passing trend: Memes die, but your brand should last. Resist the urge to include something hyper-trendy that might look silly in a year. Evergreen is always better.

Final Thoughts

Choosing a social media handle is one of the most simple yet durable marketing decisions you’ll make. A great one becomes a seamless, invisible signature for your brand, making you easy to find, tag, and remember across the internet. Putting in the extra thought now saves you from the major headache of rebranding down the line.

Once you’ve locked in that perfect handle, the next challenge is creating consistent content everywhere. I personally understand the juggle of trying to manage today's world of Reels, TikToks, and Stories across different platforms. It's why we designed Postbase. It allows me to use a visual calendar to plan and schedule all my video and photo content once and have it post everywhere automatically, so my brand handle is always paired with a fresh, consistent presence.