Social Media Handle Best Practices for Businesses

Your Handle Is Your Brand's Digital Address

Your social media handle is how people find you, tag you, mention you, and share you. It appears in every interaction — from comments and DMs to press mentions and word-of-mouth referrals. Getting it right is fundamental to your brand's digital presence.

Best Practice 1: Match Your Domain

Your social handle should match your domain as closely as possible. If your website is acme.com, your handle should be @acme. This creates a seamless brand experience: customers can guess your social profiles from your website and vice versa.

When an exact match isn't possible, use the same variation everywhere: if @acme is taken, use @acmehq on every platform.

Best Practice 2: Keep It Short

Shorter handles are:

Easier to remember
Easier to type (especially on mobile)
Less likely to be misspelled
More visually clean in mentions and tags

Target: 6-12 characters. Under 15 is acceptable. Over 15 is problematic (Twitter won't even allow it).

Best Practice 3: Make It Speakable

People share social handles verbally: "Follow us at brandname on Instagram." If your handle is hard to say out loud, it won't spread through word of mouth.

Test: Say "Follow us at [handle]" out loud. Does it flow naturally? Would someone understand it on the first try?

Best Practice 4: Avoid Numbers

Numbers in handles (@brand123) look unprofessional and suggest you couldn't get the real handle. The only exception: if the number is part of your actual brand name (like @7eleven).

Best Practice 5: Avoid Underscores and Periods

While platforms allow these characters, they create problems:

Harder to communicate verbally ("at brand underscore name")
Easy to forget or mix up
Look cluttered, especially in mentions
Some platforms allow one but not the other

If you must use a separator, pick one and use it consistently everywhere.

Best Practice 6: Be Consistent Across Platforms

Same handle. Every platform. No exceptions if possible.

Inconsistency confuses customers and weakens brand recognition. If someone follows @brandname on Instagram and searches @brandname on TikTok, they should find you — not someone else.

Best Practice 7: Secure Handles on Platforms You Don't Use Yet

Instagram, Twitter/X, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Threads, Pinterest

Even if you won't post on Pinterest for years, claim the handle now. It costs nothing and prevents squatters.

Best Practice 8: Complete Your Profiles

An empty profile with just a username looks like a squatter account. On every platform, immediately add:

Profile picture (your logo)
Bio with a one-line description
Website link
A pinned post or initial post

This prevents platforms from flagging the account as inactive.

Best Practice 9: Use Your Display Name Strategically

Most platforms separate your handle (fixed, used for @mentions) from your display name (flexible, visible to browsers).

Use your handle for brand consistency: @brandname Use your display name for discoverability: "BrandName | Project Management Tool"

The display name can include keywords that help people find you in search.

Best Practice 10: Monitor for Imposters

Once you've established your handles, monitor for accounts using similar names:

@brand.name, @brand_name, @brandnamee
Accounts using your logo or bio

Report impersonators immediately through each platform's intellectual property tools.

The Handle Selection Process

Choose your brand name
Check handle availability on all platforms simultaneously
If available everywhere → register immediately
If taken on some platforms → evaluate alternatives (modifiers, contacting holders)
Choose the best universally available option
Register on all platforms the same day

Start With Availability

Don't go through this process manually. Use BrandScout to check your brand name across all major social media platforms, domains, and trademarks in one search — and find a name that works everywhere.