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Bloomberg is reporting something most of us know, there’s more than one Sarah Palin on Twitter, and they’re not all bubbly, cuddly, gun-toting (former) governors from Alaska. Social networker and marketer Chris Brogan also has several fakes out there, so the problem is not limited to public figures.
There could be a fake out there of you.
How Do You Spot A Twitter Impersonator?
1. Twitter recently rolled out “Verified” profiles. See? This is the real Sarah Palin.
2. If you are subject to impersonation (or think you might be) Twitter has a verified request form that you can submit. At the moment, this is free, but keep an eye on this one.
I suspect it will eventually become a paid service as part of a package with premium features. That’s why I think they will buy Bit.ly, but we’re getting off topic …
3. Wait a second. There are still fake Sarah Palins out there …
Yes. The system is not perfect, and like on MySpace (remember them?) someone can set up a profile and pretend to be whoever they want.
So, here’s the rule: If you have to think, it’s not them.
If you’re still not sure, google or visit that person (or brand’s) website. The odds are they will have a link to their Twitter profile somewhere noticable. One hopes …
The Best Way To Stop A Twitter Impersonator
-Go to GoDaddy.com and put down $20 for (insertyournamehere).com for two years. (Disclosure: That is an affiliate link). Remember: The longer you are registered the more search enginge juice you have.
-Point the domain name to your Twitter profile. (See: BrandonMendelson.com for an example).
-Give people your domain name to find your Twitter account.
-And if you don’t want to use (insertyournamehere).com, you can register a .me instead.
