How to Balance Personal and Professional on Twitter
Loose Transcript
I find this question fascinating because with social technologies business IS personal so that line is very blurry. – Think about some great business leaders that use these tools – GM’s
Bob Lutz on the Fastlane blog where he really shows his passion for cars, Tim O’Reilly on Twitter where it isn’t just about tech books but about big ideas, Murphy Goode Winery on Facebook – where it isn’t about cases shipped – but about wine country lifestyle. In their own ways each of these people is staying professional while letting the personal show.
That balance of personal and professional is important in a social medium – whether on a blog, a social network like Facebook or Twitter. You just need to remember – social tools follow social rules and one social rule is that talking about work all the time is boring. In following people I tend to err on the side of those that show their personality more than strictly their profession. I am more interested in what they are reading, what they find interesting rather that just hearing about their business. So I would say about 60/40 in favor of personal information. I am not saying you need to tell us about your star sign and the fact that you look good in Fall colors here…
Here is my advice on achieving balance beyond a formula: think about your company’s mission – or the larger reason that your business exists – then speak to that. In the example before it is easy to see that wine is about more than a beverage – it is about pleasure, leisure, the good life etc. and so Murphy Goode is able to cover these areas while still having a quote unquote “professional” presence. Ultimately my advice is to find themes that resonate with the aspiration of your business and that you care about personally and Tweet about that. Do that – and I will be following you along with lots of others.
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