Because Twitter is gaining traction as a business tool, there are a large number of people who are tweeting on behalf of a company or brand. Businesses might use Twitter as a market research tool, a brand sentiment barometer, or as a means of communicating with customers.
Some of the best practices for using Twitter on behalf of business include sharing the individual's name, position with the company, and a little bit of his or her personality. This is because Twitter users are well aware that there is someone "behind the curtain" (a la the Wizard of Oz), and they want to know who that person is.
The question arises, however, when it might be necessary to maintain more than one Twitter account for the sake of clarity, consistency, and to maintain the interest of Twitter followers.
Twitter Users are People, Too
Often, business executives are encouraged to share their own opinions, beliefs and ideas about their industries, travels, and experiences. People who are following corporate identities on Twitter already understand that there are real people behind the accounts. Because web 2.0 encourages transparency and honesty, the simple action of acknowledging that fact is generally perceived as a good thing.
When checking out a Twitter profile before following, savvy users look for the following things:
- The account-holder's real name, and title within the company
- In the last several tweets some @ replies and conversing, some Re-tweets (RT) with comments and links to useful, insightful or interesting information
- Generally on-topic tweets about the business, industry, local area (if applicable) - aim for roughly 75% on-topic
- A few silly, funny, or insightful tweets that reflect the real person behind the account.
A string of automated Tweets ("I uploaded a YouTube video!") will turn users away. A series of "push" posts without any conversation, replies or re-tweets indicates that the Twitter account holder is not interested in interacting with others or in hearing from customers.
However, because there is a real person behind this account, it's entirely possible that at some point, that person will start tweeting about a number of diverse interests. Perhaps this hypothetical corporate representative is a marketing employee who works for a firm known for baked goods. This person would see marketing - related posts as relevant to her work, and might end up tweeting about those topics, when her followers just really want to hear about cookies. What should this exec do? Split her Twitter accounts.
The Twitter Split - Keeping the Stream On-Topic
When a Twitter user finds that they are tweeting less than 50% of the time about any one topic, they run the risk of alienating or annoying followers by filling their Twitter feeds with off-topic posts.
The best thing to do is to open a second Twitter account (this will require a second email address), and create a second profile that is dedicated to one topic, leaving the other account to be dedicated (most of the time) to the other subject. Ideally, the user would use the same or similar photograph, and background images that clarify this move to the casual browser.
To successfully do this, it is important to communicate this change to all of the Twitter followers on the existing account. Tweet clarifying remarks from both accounts, explaining the reasons behind this change, and the benefits to followers if they will please follow the new account. Then, over the next several weeks, send occasional reminders to followers that this shift has occurred. (Also, be sure to update online profiles, such as the one on LinkedIn to clarify and communicate this change.)
Multiple Twitter Accounts - Not for the Faint at Heart
This approach is really only necessary for the avid tweeter who is willing to use tools like TweetDeck or HootSuite to manage multiple accounts, and who has already figured out Twitter time management tricks - such as Chris Brogan's message "You don't have to read every Tweet."
For users who are tweeting off-topic, but don't want to manage more than one account, there are a few alternatives:
- Adjust the current Tweet behaviors to try to be more on-topic and related to what Twitter followers are looking for.
- Add a few more people to the corporate Twitter identity (either by sharing the same account, or by identifying other Twitter users who also represent the company)
It can take a while to build a following on a new Twitter account, and only patience, participation - and good Tweeting - will make that happen. Many Twitter users have found that sticking to a single topic makes it far easier to build a following than tweeting about a variety of topics seems to do.
Alicia King - Alicia King has been writing for Suite 101 since June of 2007. For over a year, she was the Featured Writer for the Suite section about ...
