For business owners, building a strong brand and reputation online matters a lot in acquiring and retaining customers.
One basic way to achieve it is using a consistent name across various channels including your website and social media network.
Having the same social media handles as your domain name makes it easier for your audience to find you. Moreover, it establishes credibility and gives customers an impression that you’re a brand they can trust.
If you have a different social media name for every platform, like TheLimeProject, LimeProject, and ProjectLime, people will be confused if it’s the same brand.
In this blog, we’ll explore why it makes sense to get a matching domain name and social media username for your business.
Why You Should Use the Same Social Media Handles as Your Domain Name
Enhance Brand Recall ValueÂ
Brand recall value is the ability of your brand to remain top of mind every time a customer looks for a business in your niche.
With the growing importance of social media in your marketing, these social handles serve as powerful brand assets. Keeping it consistent with your domain name helps you develop strong brand awareness. As a result, it’s much easier for customers to recall your brand name when conversing with their acquaintances or searching online.
For instance, it’s not recommended to use your personal name to represent your brand on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For the best results, everything should remain as similar as possible. The goal is to make it simpler for people to search your business, whether online or on social media.
So, using Instagram from one handle and tweeting from a different one is a no-no. It’s best to go with @companyname for both.
Save Customers the ConfusionÂ
This is especially relevant for business accounts. Confusing your customers would mean driving them away.
Multiple handles for the same business run the risk of making customers feel confused and irritated by having to type different usernames every time they need to look up your business.Â
Meanwhile, having the same name makes it easier for customers to remember it and locate the website/social media account quickly.
Keep your brand name consistent across channels to save the hassle of messy advertising and losing revenue.
READ: 5 Low-Cost Branding Tips for Your Small Business
Protect Your Brand ImageÂ
Having the same username or handle across all digital marketing channels helps you protect your brand from scammers who’ll attempt to pretend to be you.
Scammers can’t use your username as it’s already taken, so you’re not only safe from online fraud, but your followers will trust you more. 
On the contrary, if you have different usernames for different online marketing channels, your followers will likely think that your business is not genuine.
Help People Share Your Content EasilyÂ
When you have consistency in your social media handles and domain name, it becomes easier to encourage your audience to engage and share your content.Â
For instance, you can simply say “Find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest at @brandname” instead of having to list four different handles.
While it might not always be possible to get the username you wish for, you should try to get the closest name as much as possible. You can also monitor the handles you want in case they become available. 
Look Professional  Online
Being consistent with your domain name and social media names reflects professionalism.
Here are quick tips to make sure you can have the same social media handles as your domain name:
- List down the domain names you’re eyeing that are still available for registration. If it’s taken, there are many alternative domains you can use, from .ie to .org and niche-specific domain extensions, like .store, .tech, etc.Â
- Conduct a search for each to check if someone is already using that name on social media.
So, if your brand name is ‘Metals Only For You’ and @metalsonlyforyou is available on top social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Linkedin, Snapchat, and Pinterest, it’s best to grab it before someone else does.
Brand Consistency is the KeyÂ
Getting matching social media handles with your domain name has several advantages for businesses.
Apart from making it easier for users to find your business online and establishing professionalism, it also makes your printed marketing materials much clearer and more memorable.Â
However, finding the matching handle on each platform can sometimes be challenging. So, if you’re able to find them, make sure to grab them soon even if you’re still in the process of getting your business online.