I’ve been asked several times whether or not it’s worth creating a professional Twitter account along with your personal one. I did this but deleted my personal one after being found by a sales guy. I didn’t have anything provocative nor did I protect my tweets because I used too much profanity. I just wanted a place where I could share my thoughts without having a client who I was promoting a white paper for have to scroll down and read my ramblings with my cousin in Rhode Island.
But I learned something the day that sales guy contacted me. Underneath his pitch were the following words:
I liked that one of your twitter handles is life, love,humor. A great combination.
Let’s stay in touch… I will put you on our newsletter list, and please do same.
Although it was a sales pitch, I was impressed with his online “footwork.” He found my personal account, mentioned it in a note and kindly said he’d be adding me to his newsletter list and offered me the chance to do the same. Well played, sir.
I began think of the pros and cons of having a personal and a professional Twitter account. Was there really a difference? Why was I trying to hide my identity online? So I deleted it, and stuck to my professional account. There I tweet about the latest asset we’re promoting, current trends in social media, my latest post on my mommy blog and more. You don’t wear a mask when you go to see your family, friends and/or significant other, so why should you disguise yourself online?
If I haven’t convinced you and you’re still thinking of creating personal and professional Twitter accounts, here are a few things to consider:
Are you going to keep the two active?
What will you share on each?
Do you plan to make your timeline private?
Will you be promoting yourself in a positive manner? (Remember, anything and everything you post online can be retrieved)
Can you share any pros and cons to having two separate Twitter accounts?
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