 Welcome to The Journey. Today we're going to talk about how to claim your social media profiles and why you should do it now. You want to start a business, or maybe you plan on becoming a social media influencer, or you just thought of like the best handle ever. Either way, you should go grab your coveted name now even before you create your business, launch a website, or register your domain. And if you haven't grabbed your desired handles yet, especially if you're already doing business, well, you're already behind. But first, here's how to get the right handles. Assuming you don't already know, you'll need to keep it to 15 characters or less. Also, it shouldn't be too clever, too long, or hard to spell. However, choosing a completely original brand name can improve your chances of securing the perfect handle across multiple platforms. A relatively short and to the point handle contributes to the clean and memorable social media branding. It should be quick and easy to say and spell so your ideal customer can find you better. And then be sure to check each social platform to see if your desired handle is available. And thanks to sites like Noam, you can check the availability of your username on multiple social sites at one time, which is super efficient. Therefore, I love it and most offer the option to create your profile on each of those sites for a fee. Now, let's say it's not available on one platform. Well, go back to step one. But if your top handle choices were taken and you're just like totally set on having that one in particular, I would encourage you to try a couple of things. One, use an acronym or initials, also adding the word real or official could help you out as well. And if you're going to be using a variation of your brand name, keep it consistent on every account, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook. And again, that's the whole point, right? And additionally avoid using punctuation if possible. That's how you get typos. And once you found a handle that you can secure across all platforms, create an account with each and upload a profile picture along with a brief bio. That way, if it's discovered before you're active, your followers know it's you. Even if you don't intend to use it right away, best to have it optimized and ready to go when you are. So why do you need to grab it before it's gone? Well, let's say you're considering a company name like Coffee and Kickflips. Well, you're going to want your social media handles, all of them across various platforms to be at Coffee and Kickflips. For the sake of the example on Twitter, it's already taken, even worse, it appears to be in an active account. Frustrating. I know, too bad, so sad. Even if they're not using it, the name is claimed. But this can cause you more trouble than you think. Now, the thing I think that most of us have gotten to with those names that have already taken, it's username squatting. So cyber squatting, also known as that username squatting is registering an account with the intent to sell it to an interested party, usually at a super inflated price. Parents are even securing social media handles, profiles and email addresses for their children, even before they're born just to ensure they can have those names when they're growing up. The same can be said for personal domains, too. So you should be aware that different social media platforms respond to allegations of impersonation and username squatting differently. Because there are really no uniform requirements regarding the registration of usernames. Social media platforms are free to exercise varying degrees of control or involvement when it comes to the registration of usernames. For example, Twitter may remove accounts that are inactive for more than six months. And on Facebook, your page could become unpublished for inactivity. Next up, what to do if someone has a handle that let's say you've trademarked? Well, trademark infringement is not the same as impersonation or username squatting. While impersonation and username squatting is undoubtedly related to trademark infringement, there are distinctions here. For example, in its rules and policies, Twitter says if an account has had no updates, no profile image, there's no intent to mislead. It typically means there's no name squatting impersonation. And Twitter goes on to state that unless the report involves a claim of trademark infringement, it will not release inactive or squatted usernames. So if you legally own that name, you might be able to contact the social media platforms or the person who currently owns the handle to hopefully secure it for yourself. However, this isn't necessarily the best case. With trademark names, you might want to consult your attorney. However, trademark or not, don't try to purchase the handle from someone who got it first. Purchasing and selling social media handles is explicitly stated as a violation of terms of nearly every social media platform ever. Social media accounts can play an important role in your company's marketing plans. These networks allow you to connect with their customers in unique and meaningful ways. So therefore, while it can take a little bit of time to go through each network and create new accounts, it's definitely a worthwhile investment. Alright, that's a wrap. Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe to our channel. And hey, the journey doesn't stop here. Check out our other videos. We have over 200. I hope you enjoy them. And until next time, this is a journey.