Freak or unique: a lesson in Twitter bios

Your Twitter bio is a test of clarity.

In 160 characters, you have to answer: who are you, and why should anyone care?

Most people fail this test. Not because they’re unclear about who they are, but because they try to sound interesting rather than being specific.

‘Thinker. Writer. Dreamer.’ Tell me nothing.

‘I help organisations build communities that outlast campaigns.’ That tells me something.

The difference between a freak and a unique is whether you’re specific enough to be recognisable. Freaks are weird in a generic way. Unique means there’s only one of you – and that requires specificity.

Your bio should make someone think: I need to follow this person. Not: I suppose I might follow this person.

Specificity creates that response. Vagueness doesn’t.