"What's your Instagram?"
If you've ever been asked this question, then you've been asked for your social media handle.
Handles are unique usernames attached to our profiles across various social media platforms. They have changed the way we interact, share information, and connect with each others online, even outside of social media. Whether you’re an individual, a business, or a public figure, your handle becomes a representation of your online identity. You'll want to choose wisely!
In this article, we'll walk through everything you need to know about social media handles, including:
Let's get started.
A social media handle is the username that individuals, businesses, and organizations use to identify their accounts on various social media platforms. It’s often preceded by the @ symbol, e.g. @username. This allows users to tag, mention, or search for specific profiles within a given platform. "Handle" and "username" mean the same thing and can be used interchangeably, though most of the social media platforms default to the word "username" in their user experiences.
Usernames, or handles, are meant to be an easily recognizable way to identify and locate individuals or entities on social media platforms, like a calling card. They are first come, first served, which means they are unique to a single user on each social media platform — two people cannot have the same handle on Instagram, for example. However, one person's Instagram handle might be the same as someone else's TikTok handle.
Your handle is one of the first things people see when they interact with your account, whether it's on your profile, on one of your posts, in a comment you left, or in a DM. Since they're such an important part of your online identity, it makes sense that choosing one can be stressful.
There are a lot of benefits of using handles, like:
The term “handle” can be traced back to the early 20th-century radio industry. Operators adopted a unique identifier or nickname to distinguish themselves over radio transmissions. During World War II, handles became even more widely used as military personnel and pilots adopted them to maintain anonymity and facilitate communication.
Since handles are essentially usernames, we've been using them on the internet even longer than social media has been around. In the days of AIM (AOL Instant Messenger), there was fierce competition over having the coolest screen name, i.e. handle. 99% of Millennials would be able to tell you their AIM screen name with zero hesitation.
Handles are still a big part of instant messaging. You can adopt a handle on Discord, and at work you might have a handle on Slack or another app.
“Handle” was likely adopted for its descriptive nature and its association with the physical act of gripping or holding onto something. When it comes to communication, a handle can be thought of as a way to “handle” or get ahold of someone in the online world.
The format and requirements for handles vary across different social media platforms. Some platforms have character limitations, while others may allow the use of special characters or spaces. It’s common for handles to be a combination of letters, numbers, and underscores, with the goal of creating a distinctive and easily identifiable username.
Here are the rules for handles / usernames on every social media platform.
While the idea of a perfect handle differs based on the individual or organization, choosing one requires a lot of thought. It’s what you’ll be identified with online for the rest of time! True, you can always change your handle, but as we mentioned above it's better for your reach and brand trust to stick with the same handle for the long haul.
Here are a few tips on how to choose a great social media handle that you'll want to hang onto.
Consider the key aspects of your identity, interests, or brand. Think about the message you want to convey or the impression you want to leave. The ideal handle should align with your personal or brand identity and be relevant to your niche or area of expertise.
This is a pretty obvious process for fully operational brands that have a legal name or a doing-business-as (DBA) name. These businesses will pick a handle that closely matches their online business presence.
But what if you're a freelancer, a solopreneur, a content creator, or an influencer? In these cases, you have a few options:
Opt for a handle that’s easy to remember and doesn’t require complex spellings or symbols. Straightforward and shorter handles make it easier for others to find you in the search bar.
How often do you follow an account, and then completely forget what their handle is? You're hoping the algorithm will magically show you their content, but you're left scrolling through your following list. If you stick to short and simple handles, your newer followers are more likely to remember and navigate back to your account. You don't want to miss out on those high-intent views! Keywords are also an excellent way of trigger peoples' memories — see below.
The perfect handle should be in sync with your brand identity. Choose words relevant to your niche or area of expertise — this will help potential followers or customers quickly understand what you offer. This also provides a little SEO fairy dust, increasing the chances of your handle appearing in relevant searches for that keyword. This isn't just for cold searches, or people looking for new pages to follow — it helps you surface to your existing followers who want to engage with your account (but couldn't remember your whole handle).
For example, swimwear brand Andie uses the handle @andieswim on Instagram to make it clearer what brand category they're in. If a follower forgot their brand name but new they wanted to see their swimsuits, they could easily search for "swim" and find Andie again.
Keywords can also help local businesses stand out to customers in their area. By adding the city where your business is located, you'll help potential customers find you. This becomes even more important for businesses or franchises that operate in multiple locations. For example, a restaurant with two locations in the same city might have two separate Instagram accounts. It's a no brainer to add each restaurant's neighborhood to their handles to help diners distinguish between the two.
If you're creating social media accounts for a new brand, you'll want to have the same handle across all platforms for consistency's sake. This will make it easier for people you search for you and recognize your account.
The trick is to check your desired handle's availability on each platform before you hit "submit" on any of them. Depending on the platform, it's not always quick and easy to change your handle if you find yourself in this situation. It will be pretty frustrating to lock in your TikTok only to find that it's not available on Instagram, so do some username recon before you jump on one.
Of course, many times you're setting up a social media account for a brand that already has a social presence somewhere else. In this case, you want to get as close as possible to your username on your most popular account. If the exact username isn't available, you have two basic options:
You can change you social media handle on pretty much every social media platform. The question is really should you change your handle? If you're running a business account or your account is somehow tied to a brand or well-known personality, changing your handle might be a bad idea.
It's simple: Your fans, followers, and customers will start to recognize you by your handle. If you change it, they won't know who you are! Minor shifts are fine to allow for cohesiveness across platforms. But if you're going to make a drastic change, you'll want to consider it carefully and prep your audience for the change.
Social handles have a profound impact on branding strategies. They serve as the digital front door to businesses, organizations, and public figures, playing a vital role in establishing and maintaining brand recognition, visibility, and engagement on social networks. Here are some ways in which social media handles influence branding.
Social media handles provide an opportunity for businesses or individuals to maintain consistency across different social profiles. By using the same handle or a variation of it, brands can establish a unified presence that’s easily recognizable to their target audience. Consistency in handles helps reinforce brand identity, messaging, and values, creating a cohesive brand experience for followers and customers.
For example, Hoka has the same handle for its TikTok, Instagram, and X (Twitter) pages.
Memorable and distinctive social media handles contribute to brand recognition. A well-crafted handle can leave a lasting impression on users, making it easier for them to identify and recall a brand when they come across it on various social platforms. Brand recognition is crucial for building customer loyalty, attracting new followers, and differentiating a brand from competitors in the crowded digital space.
Social media handles play a significant role in a brand’s online discoverability. When users search for a brand or relevant keywords, having an optimized handle can help improve visibility in search results. By incorporating keywords or industry-related terms into their handles, business owners can increase the chances of being found by their target audience and improve their overall online presence.
Social handles are instrumental in cultivating and nurturing online communities. By creating a handle that resonates with their target audience, brands can attract like-minded individuals and foster a sense of community around their products, services, or values. Handles become the link that connects individuals to the brand and to each other, facilitating engagement, discussions, and shared experiences.
Social media handles contribute to a brand’s online reputation management. Brands can actively monitor and manage their handles to respond to customer inquiries, address concerns, and engage with their audience. By maintaining a consistent and positive presence through their social media profiles, brands can build trust, credibility, and a strong reputation within their industry and among their followers.
Social media handles play a significant role in today’s digital landscape. They serve as the gateway to our online presence, allowing individuals and brands to establish their identities, engage with audiences, and build meaningful connections. Remember, a well-crafted handle should be easy to remember, relevant to your brand, and reflective of your values and messaging.
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