Alright people calm down, I didn’t mean it in that way. Twitter is a great tool to network, build authentic relationships, communicate ideas, and relay powerful messages but what good will that do you if you haven’t found your twitter voice? Late at night, in my Brooklyn apartment, I stay up late for two reasons, one, because Mrs. Pinkus in 3f, my 85-year-old Russian neighbor, loves to blast Madonna’s Like a Virgin at full stereo, and two, to review the day in twitterland to see what I’ve missed (in case I failed to do so during the day). Often I’ll find twitter users trying so hard to gain followers by tweeting inside their niche, but then reveal too much information about their personal life in other tweets which backfires–worse than Tiger Woods having Elin talk to Rachel Uchitel–what was he thinking?
I’ll give you an example. A little twitter blogger mommy I’ve come across will often tweet away about her blog posts on raising her children and ask for people to follow her. There’s nothing wrong with that–right? Her posts and tweets are filled with the best juice boxes to give your little ones and how to handle the “peanut butter-in-the-hair” moment when your child turns two. And when I read her tweets, it’s a calming, mommy sensation that takes me over. Really, I feel like Mother Goose. But then, in a disconnected, brash manner, she’ll tweet about the one-night stands she’s having and complain how those men are treating her like filth, dirt, and common gutter trash in very explicit language, if you know what I mean–and I think you do. (And by the way, her dating life sounds like an improvement on mine, but I digress)
Main idea: If you’re going to use twitter for mommy blogging and your blog is rated G, then you want to keep your explicit rant-and-rave tweets separate, otherwise you’ll come across as someone who forgot to take their little purple pill that day. When you’re on twitter, you want to find your niche and roll with it. Now, that doesn’t mean you won’t ever have a bad day and feel like verbalizing, but I just cringe when I see tweets chirp across my screen that should be saved for therapy day. I mean, I’m sure Guy Kawasaki has bad days too, but you won’t catch him tweeting about his horrid love life issues in explicit details (not that he has any) on his regular twitter account. But if he does, I’m sure he rants and raves on a separate account, like, NoMoreMrNiceGuy (not that he has one).
When you’re trying to establish yourself as an expert in your field or niche, find your twitter voice and stay within it. You’ll have cross-overs tweets, that’s to be expected because if you are utilizing twitter properly and engaging with your follower, you’re bound to go off your field’s topic. Just because you’re a pirate out on the sea doesn’t mean you aren’t going to retweet Perez Hilton’s tweet about Lady Gaga, but if you are a pirate people will expect wild and crazy tweets anyways–I assume because of the hot sea sun. But if your business is all about gardening and how to pick the perfect daisy, and your tweets center around that, then, all of a sudden you talk about “Death to the Man,” well, you might lose a foll0wer or two–and gain three that will send you succinct instructions on how to do so.
Rule of thumb, while on twitter, find your twitter voice and stick to it. Yes, you’ll sway once in a while, after all twitter reflects your life, business and habits, but be careful what that voice says, you want to engage and add value to the people who are currently following you, not cause them to dial 911 and stay up to watch the local news to see if some mommy blogger in South Carolina was just arrested on a morals charge.
@ateegarden
Wow I couldn’t agree more. Amazingly people don’t realize that what they post online will be around for decades to come. Their children will be able to “google” them and find ton’s of stuff that their parents said or did online.
People don’t realize that our social currency is our reputation in the digital world. What you have to think is “how we do anything is how we do everything.” Our words and actions online reflect that statement clearly.
@HappyCoupleXprt
First, love the title- great way to “expose” the idea.
Second, love the message. It is so important to be consistent in all aspect of your life; not just Twitter. It isn’t just important for how others view you but for how you view yourself.
I did write about how inconsistency affects relationships, http://tinyurl.com/yfgcead
Thanks for the great post!
@JohnAguiar
Fine line between sharing and promoting yourself as a authority and going to far and sharing to much info.
Nice post.
Finding your twitter voice is common advice yet most people are clueless on how to do it, and it happens your story example is relevant to some of us… lol
@mo_flow
Sage advice and great headline! I wonder if it’s helpful to suggest not only sticking to your voice, but also your target audience. I can imagine the temptation to stray off-topic is greater when your following/follower lists aren’t somewhat targetted?
@jim_gray
finding the voice is so key
@nandoism
@JohnAguiar–thanks for the compliment and I agree, it’s a hard balance.
@Raviaa–thanks for the comment, I hope this example can help us all find our twitter voice.
@nandoism
@ateegarden–you’re so correct, our digital footprint is something we have to ready for when it gets googled and put in our face. yikes!
@HappyCoupleXprt–thanks for the comment, I can’t wait to check out your article.
@mo_flow–awesome titter handle! it’s hard to stick to a target audience for some, at least for me, because I’m a dating/relationships blogger and thats always strays into wide areas–cause we talk about the ex, dating, then the mother-in-laws, then money–so I get all sorts of followers, but I think I find a balance in making sure people who follow me get what they expect; humor, sarcasm and a little Mexican wisdom. But it’s hard to find a strict target audience for some.
@jim_gray–thanks for the comment buddy!
@dazediva
That’s brilliant advice .. I still consider myself a newbie on Twitter but at least I think I have sorta found my Tweeting voice .. My blog is ’sporadic’ and hence so are my tweets .. Variety is the spice of life .. and am glad I’m (sorta) on the right track =)
@jpdatuin
Nice post! I should focus more on my niche and not to include too much personal life on twitter. Thanks for the tip!
Any one have suggestions about how to sort through all the irrelevant tweets?
@tekrux
It is hard to keep a constant ‘voice’ on twitter. Maybe it’s best to have a personal account and a professional account.
@melaniekissell
I want to emphatically and vehemently “second” the remarks of “Marlene” (@mo_flow) here. I’ve certainly been guilty at times of steering my tweets away from the focus on my target market. And I’d have to say that’s it’s pretty easy to get side tracked!
@melaniekissell
P.S. WHERE did you find this funny and PERFECT image to include with your post? Thanks.
Haha Melanie – Was just some clip art I found. Thought it would be perfect to add to Nando’s post!
@dazediva-thanks sweetie (I know her from my blog–loyal reader) finding your niche is important–but when you’re a weirdo like me–it’s easy to flip/alternate the twitter voice. people expect it. But I’m also in many fields–and to have that many twitter accounts would be nuts for me. I like what I’ve created.
@jpdatuin – yay, thanks for the comment. I try to find a balance with that–don’t make it too niche oriented, because people want to connect with the “person” behind your twitter account. That’s what the “social” part in social networking is all about–but balance is key. I’m still looking for it. I think it’s under my statue of Wonder Woman.
@tekrux-if you can keep the two–go for it. More power to ya. (Let me know how it goes, yeah?)
@melaniekissell–child, I know all about the side-tracked. I do it in real life–so doing it on twitter is no surprise–but I think it depends on your niche and purpose on twitter as to how “side-tracked” you can get and if you can get away with it. When Ashton Kutcher does it–he gains more followers–but if Obama were to do it–I think the world would have a fit–imagine him tweeting about the dog peeing on the rug in the Oval Office? Child, the republicans would attack!
@melaniekissell
Just wanted to say “thanks” for responding — so few blog owners do. Love the remark about Obama’s dog peeing on the rug in the Oval Office.
You have a great sense of humor. Never lose it. Humor will take you a long way in life and help you to hang on to your sanity.
@bodieandfou
Great piece! really…..
I absolutely agree with you @nandoism, when her topic are of raising kids and what to do when your kids do this or that, then she should stick with it, but when she mixes it with her one night stand with men who treat her like filth then what will those readers who followed her tips would think.
@nandoism
@melaniekissell – no problem, I love commenting back, my mama taught me well!
@Bodieandfou – thanks for reading and for leaving a comment, u ROCK!
@Janice Clark – Until she gets it–she won’t understand the effect her tweets are having on her business. Ouch! Thanks for reading!
I share quite and I obviously use my real name but I’m always cautious about what I publish online.