1. #2
How Brands Can Change Their
Usernames on Social Networks:
A Simple Go-To Guide
presented by

2. Introduction
Did your company recently update its image by
changing its name, and now you’re stuck figuring out
how to reflect these changes on your social networks?
Changing a username isn’t as tricky as you may think,
but finding best practices and instructions for each
individual social network can be time-consuming. We’ve
curated all the information you need to change your
usernames and minimize any confusion that your
networks may face.
We’ll break it down into actions you can take before,
during, and after the change.
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

3. How do I change my
Twitter username?
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

4. What you need to know about Twitter…
Changing your Twitter username will not affect your
existing followers, direct messages, lists, or @replies.
All of that information is tied to your Twitter account,
which means you can easily change your username at
any time.
How? è
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

5. Changing your Twitter username.
• Log in to Twitter.
• From the upper right-hand drop-down menu where
your username is displayed, click “Settings.”
• Change the name listed in the “Username” field on
the first page you see.
• Save your changes.
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

6. What to do after changing your Twitter
username…
Although the transition within Twitter is relatively
seamless, search engines will hold your old handle in
their index, which means that if people are searching
for your Twitter account on Google, they may reach
your old page and see a 404 error.
Therefore, when changing your Twitter username we
advise reserving your old username immediately after.
How? è
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

7. Reserving your old Twitter username.
• Log out of Twitter and create a new account. (You
can use the same email address.)
• Use your old username for this Twitter account and
set the profile URL so that it directs people to the
new username.
• In the bio, you can say something like: “This account
has moved. Please follow @newusername instead.”
• You can also post a tweet with the same message.
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

8. How do I change my
Facebook Page
username?
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

9. What you need to know about Facebook…
At this point, it is only possible to change a Facebook
Page name if the page has less than 100 “likes.”
If your Page has a larger user base, you will have to
create a new one.
How? è
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

10. Changing your Facebook Page name if you
have less than 100 “likes.”
• Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/manage
• Click on the “Edit Page” link.
• On the “Basic Information” page, you can change
the name in the “Name” field.
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

11. Changing your Facebook Page name if you
have more than 100 “likes.”
• Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php
• Create a new Page with the updated name, being
sure to brand it clearly with info, photos, and status
updates.
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

12. What to do after creating a new Facebook
Page…
Everyone who “liked” your previous Page will have to
“like” your new one. Your goal is to maintain the bulk
of your fan base and to successfully communicate the
switch to the new Page.
How? è
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

13. Making a successful transition from your old
Facebook Page to your new one.
• Set a date when the company will “officially” go to the new
Page.
• Communicate the change to existing fans.
• Post engaging things on the new Page, and encourage fans
from the old Page to check them out.
• The week leading up to your official change to the new Page,
post links to it on your old Page.
• Post simultaneous messages to the old Page and the new
Page for a couple weeks until people adjust to the change.
• Leave the posts directing people to the new Page on the wall
of the old Page after your “official” move. Delete the old
Page after about a month.
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

14. How do I change my
LinkedIn company
page?
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

15. What you need to know about LinkedIn…
You can change a LinkedIn company name, but in
order to do so you must contact customer service.
How? è
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

16. Changing your LinkedIn company name.
• Make sure you have a confirmed company email
address registered to your account.
• Contact LinkedIn Customer Service and provide the
following information:
• Company Name.
• The change you would like to make.
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

17. How do I change my
YouTube username?
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

18. What you need to know about YouTube…
Currently, you cannot change your username— there is
simply too much information tied to each account. You
may, however, sign up for a new account with the
username that you desire, and re-upload each video to
your new account.
How? è
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

19. What to do after creating a new YouTube
account…
Similar to when you create a brand new Facebook
Page, your goal is to maintain the bulk of your fan
base and to successfully communicate the switch to
the new page.
How? è
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

20. Making a successful transition from your old
YouTube account to your new one.
• Post a video to the old account announcing the change and
directing people to the correct URL.
• Post information about the new YouTube account on your
other social networks.
• Leave the video directing people to the new account on the
old YouTube. Delete the entire old YouTube account after
about a month.
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

21. How do I change my
Flickr username?
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

22. What you need to know about Flickr…
You can easily change your Flickr username at any
time. However, once you have created your
customized Flickr web address (e.g. http://
www.flickr.com/photos/yourusername), you cannot
change it.
How? è
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

23. Changing your Flickr username.
• Go to http://www.flickr.com/account/
• Click the ‘edit’ button next to ‘your screen name’
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

24. Creating a customized Flickr web address.
• Go to http://www.flickr.com/account/
• Click the ‘edit’ button next to ‘your Flickr web address’
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

25. Remember
It’s important to maintain continuity between
your social networks. Your audience needs to
be able to quickly find you, so when you make
any drastic changes, be sure to communicate it
clearly to your fan base.
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by

26. agencypja.com
We like to figure out the hard stuff. A fully integrated B2B/
B2C agency with a strong focus on digital and social media,
PJA Advertising + Marketing creates breakthrough
marketing programs that engage sophisticated audiences,
elevate your brand, and get you the credit you deserve.
Jessica Weil
Social Media Analyst
PJA Advertising + Marketing
How Brands Can Change Their Usernames on Social Networks presented by