Article on Standing Out Stands Out

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about how to make your twesume count, referring, of course, to the 160 characters (maximum) that comprise one's Twitter bio. After that post became one of the most visited pages yet on this website, Poynter.org accepted my offer to expand on the topic for its site's How To's and journalism education sections. "How to Write a Twitter Bio That'll Make You Stand Out as a Journalist" debuted there last week.

I crafted the article so it featured several tips for creating a great #twesume. They include start with the basics, show that you can write, always consider your audience, use relevant Twitter handles and hashtags, show a little of your personality, don't distract from your goal, have some place else for them to go and keep it updated. The article also includes great twesume examples from Erika Glover (@ErikaJGlover), Daniel Jimenez (@DMJreports), Taylor Shaw (@TaylorShaw_427), Eva Sotomayor (@sotomayoreva) and Brianna Stubler (@BriStubler).

I figured the article would resonate among journalism students and educators. It is about Twitter, after all. However, the response far exceeded my expectations. Indeed, the piece earned more than double the amount of tweets from its Poynter.org page than happened for my previous best-received article for them, about showing journalism educators how to teach students to live tweet campus events. At last look, this new offering has nearly 600 tweets!

A note about the headline: I definitely like it. But I think another reason the piece got so many retweets is because it doesn't just apply to journalists. The title could easily be "How to Write a Twitter Bio That'll Make You Stand Out."

Anyway, not everyone liked everything about the article. Many objected to the term twesume. Why? I'm not exactly sure. None of the dissenters in the comments section made an argument against the term that I can remember now. No matter. The point is we should take every opportunity to use those 160 characters to present our best self. Call it a twesume. Call it a Twitter bio. I don't care. Just use it so someone with a job will want to call you for an interview.

Fun piece on how to write a twesume (aka Twitter resume) that'll make you stand out as a journo: bit.ly/RIg3yP @herbertlowe explains.

— Mallary Tenore(@mallarytenore) September 7, 2012

#COM135 students new to Twitter--here's a must read by @herbertlowe poynter.org/how-tos/journa… thanks @itsapopod for the heads up!

— Intro to Journalism (@lujournalism) September 8, 2012

@herbertlowe for all that is good and holy, please don't write the word "twesume."

— The real Jon Brodkin (@JBrodkin) September 9, 2012

I just read an informative article on how to create a distinctive Twitter bio by @herbertlowe. I pass the test. Do you? tinyurl.com/9qhczmh

— A DuB (@JusADuB) September 11, 2012

How to write a Twitter bio that’ll make you stand out as a journalist by @herbertlowe poynter.org/how-tos/journa…” #twesume

— NABJ_Marquette U (@NABJ_MarquetteU) September 12, 2012

How to write a Twitter bio that’ll make you stand out as a journalist by @herbertlowe poynter.org/how-tos/journa…

— journalism festival (@journalismfest) September 11, 2012

#FF #loweclass students w/nice #twesumes: @moniquekcollins @alexawhittaker @marissaaevans @grahamcrackers @jacob_born poynter.org/how-tos/journa…

— Herbert Lowe (@herbertlowe) September 14, 2012