One of the great things about social networking sites is that anyone can share nearly anything about themselves in a profile. Twitter allows their users to do just that, with a one-line bio.

Seeing that Tweets are limited to a mere 140 characters, Twitter allows users to create a short blurb about themselves (and comps them 20 extra characters to do it with).

So how can you make the most out of the “One Line Bio” that Twitter provides for you?

1. Reach (or get as close to) the 160-character limit.

Twitter gives you an extra 20 characters for this part of your profile page, so use them! If you aren’t using at least 150 characters in your bio, you may want to consider adding valuable personal material to that space.

Just as your mother or father used to tell you when you were a child: don’t waste your food. In the spirit of your parental unit, don’t waste your characters!

2. Use some keywords, but don’t let them dominate.

Keywords are important if you are marketing yourself or your business on Twitter, but even for personal accounts, keywords are important. With the rise of Twitter search engines and Yell0w-Page like finders, it is crucial to include some interests or keywords so other like Tweeps can find you.

A keyword-less bio will become a hindrance, no matter how interesting your Tweets may be. Be discoverable!

3. Let your personality shine through.

Most personal Twitter accounts have great, personality-filled bios. Every Tweep should have at least a line or two demonstrating his/her own personality. Even the cheesiest-of-cheese sentences will catch the attention of another: likewise, increasing the chances of a quality follow or follow-back.

4. Shorten up words as you can, but avoid abbreviations.

Get out your Thesaurus! Instead of using the word “excellent”, try “great”, “prime”, or “tiptop”. If you truly want to optimize every last character of your bio (and you should), look for simple word swaps that will help you conserve space.

ALSO, evn thgh ths my wrk in rl lfe, you should avoid abbreviations. It can get extremely frustrating for most Tweeps trying to read profile bios that are shortened up that much.

5. Eliminate as many extraneous words as possible.

Take out any unnecessary or extra words that you don’t need.

Example: I really like watching baseball, especially the Yankees. Derek Jeter is by far and away my favorite ballplayer.

Sure, the example may be a little far-fetched. But if you take out any of the “cell-phone chatiness”, you’d be surprised at how many characters you can save (and how much your bio will improve).

6. Sell yourself. Give people a reason to follow you.

Even for personal accounts, this is a must. One of the first things many users ask themselves: “Why should I follow this person?” No matter who you are, make it as clear as possible to your followers that you are someone worth following.

You (unless you’re a spam bot) have something to bring to Twitter. Make yourself irreplaceable, and mold your bio around the idea fact that you are a valuable follow.

7. Try to avoid negativity and poor word choice: keep it upbeat.

If you avoid bad language, negative thoughts/messages, and potentially-insulting statements in your bio, you’ll be well off. This one goes without saying, but if you keep it upbeat and positive, the chances of people taking an interest to you will greatly increase.

What are your tips for optimizing your one-line bio?