I have a Twitter dilemma which I’m hoping the band of trusted followers who sign up to @foodiesarah can help resolve.
Basically – how much is too much?And if you think I’m too noisy as it is – time to say so!
First a bit of background. When I first (admittedly rather sceptically) started out on Twitter I intended to use it for updates about restaurants, recipes and other food related activities as an added extra to my Life through Food blog and print reviews I do for the M.E.N.
But it’s not worked out exactly like that and is now also a home for my other passion in life – online journalism. The excellent network of followers and followees I’ve come to value so much tend to be social media addicts, Manchester’s digerati and top journalists from further afield.
It’s all good!
However, I’m about to start out on some new projects to engage more closely with Manchester’s communities and I can’t imagine blogging, reporting on them and being involved in any meaningful way without using Twitter as the excellent journalistic tool it has proved to be.
So does @foodiesarah become home to that activity even though many followers didn’t sign up for that OR do I start a whole new Manchester related Twitter stream where the events and stories I’m dealing with can be covered?
You choose.
The picture on this page is from Workhouses.org and is not in anyway intended as a reference to modern working practices in regional newspapers.
Dim Sum Digital 
I’m using Twitter in much the same way as you do – I plug my blog occasionally, build relationships with other journos and eds, share links with followers, use it for sporadic callouts for case studies etc.
I’m fairly sure that if I were planning to embark on a big project of the type you describe I’d be creating a new Twitter account (I have two others already, but they are minor ones). There are some good Twitter apps for running multiple accounts, although sadly Mattinator seems to be permanently borked just now. It would certainly make a lot of sense to build a new Twitter identity for a particular project.
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I’m using Twitter in much the same way as you do – I plug my blog occasionally, build relationships with other journos and eds, share links with followers, use it for sporadic callouts for case studies etc.
I’m fairly sure that if I were planning to embark on a big project of the type you describe I’d be creating a new Twitter account (I have two others already, but they are minor ones). There are some good Twitter apps for running multiple accounts, although sadly Mattinator seems to be permanently borked just now. It would certainly make a lot of sense to build a new Twitter identity for a particular project.
LikeLike
I’m using Twitter in much the same way as you do – I plug my blog occasionally, build relationships with other journos and eds, share links with followers, use it for sporadic callouts for case studies etc.
I’m fairly sure that if I were planning to embark on a big project of the type you describe I’d be creating a new Twitter account (I have two others already, but they are minor ones). There are some good Twitter apps for running multiple accounts, although sadly Mattinator seems to be permanently borked just now. It would certainly make a lot of sense to build a new Twitter identity for a particular project.
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Hmmm a dilemma… Personally I’d stick with the one stream unless you really are going to be insanely chatty or you think the audience is going to be VERY different.
I’ve been tempted to open up twitter users for specific projects, but I know I’d just carry on posting on my main account for the most part and only post on them once in a blue moon. Or that the “specific” account would stage some kind of reverse take-over on the “main” account and win all my followers…
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Hmmm a dilemma… Personally I’d stick with the one stream unless you really are going to be insanely chatty or you think the audience is going to be VERY different.
I’ve been tempted to open up twitter users for specific projects, but I know I’d just carry on posting on my main account for the most part and only post on them once in a blue moon. Or that the “specific” account would stage some kind of reverse take-over on the “main” account and win all my followers…
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I’m with Louise on this one.
Create it, launch it and make it a destination for those communities – something that is immediately recognisable as relevant to and belonging to them.
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I’m with Louise on this one.
Create it, launch it and make it a destination for those communities – something that is immediately recognisable as relevant to and belonging to them.
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I’m with Louise on this one.
Create it, launch it and make it a destination for those communities – something that is immediately recognisable as relevant to and belonging to them.
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I think the idea of a separate one for events is a good idea – that way people can choose to find out what is going on.
Am I interested in the thoughts of @foodiesarah? Yes, no unfollow from me ;D
Am I interested in what is happening in Manchester? Probably, but living in Cardiff I’d like to have the option about Manchester specific stuff.
I’ve got three accounts and use Twhirl to look after them, I find it pretty easy. One is my main egrommet, one is a group account for bouncing messages to my students and the other is for a blog that has gone into hibernation (but will soon re emerge).
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I think the idea of a separate one for events is a good idea – that way people can choose to find out what is going on.
Am I interested in the thoughts of @foodiesarah? Yes, no unfollow from me ;D
Am I interested in what is happening in Manchester? Probably, but living in Cardiff I’d like to have the option about Manchester specific stuff.
I’ve got three accounts and use Twhirl to look after them, I find it pretty easy. One is my main egrommet, one is a group account for bouncing messages to my students and the other is for a blog that has gone into hibernation (but will soon re emerge).
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I think the idea of a separate one for events is a good idea – that way people can choose to find out what is going on.
Am I interested in the thoughts of @foodiesarah? Yes, no unfollow from me ;D
Am I interested in what is happening in Manchester? Probably, but living in Cardiff I’d like to have the option about Manchester specific stuff.
I’ve got three accounts and use Twhirl to look after them, I find it pretty easy. One is my main egrommet, one is a group account for bouncing messages to my students and the other is for a blog that has gone into hibernation (but will soon re emerge).
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Great question – have been having same thoughts to do with Liverpool Echo. Came to conclusion that different channel is best, with some initial cross promotion on existing one to let people who know you know you’re doing it.
Too confusing otherwise I think, plus risk of tweets getting lost in background noise
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Great question – have been having same thoughts to do with Liverpool Echo. Came to conclusion that different channel is best, with some initial cross promotion on existing one to let people who know you know you’re doing it.
Too confusing otherwise I think, plus risk of tweets getting lost in background noise
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Great question – have been having same thoughts to do with Liverpool Echo. Came to conclusion that different channel is best, with some initial cross promotion on existing one to let people who know you know you’re doing it.
Too confusing otherwise I think, plus risk of tweets getting lost in background noise
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It depended whether you think one would be detrimental to the other. You could look at it as having a part time job, where even though you are the core component of that job, you still have to delineate the two. Would your current Twitter Persona inhibit your proposed work and potential, collaborators/partners? If so then @communitysarah it is.
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It depended whether you think one would be detrimental to the other. You could look at it as having a part time job, where even though you are the core component of that job, you still have to delineate the two. Would your current Twitter Persona inhibit your proposed work and potential, collaborators/partners? If so then @communitysarah it is.
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It depended whether you think one would be detrimental to the other. You could look at it as having a part time job, where even though you are the core component of that job, you still have to delineate the two. Would your current Twitter Persona inhibit your proposed work and potential, collaborators/partners? If so then @communitysarah it is.
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Thanks for all your input – some good points. I’ve taken the pplunge and started @Sarah_Hartley on Twitter which will be the home for all things Manchester related, including Social Media Cafe, bloggers, flickrs et el. Hopefully it will make sense and mean that those who follow my personal stream @foodiesarah won’t feel bombarded with tales of the rainy city. Perhaps most of you will find it useful. Let me know.
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Thanks for all your input – some good points. I’ve taken the pplunge and started @Sarah_Hartley on Twitter which will be the home for all things Manchester related, including Social Media Cafe, bloggers, flickrs et el. Hopefully it will make sense and mean that those who follow my personal stream @foodiesarah won’t feel bombarded with tales of the rainy city. Perhaps most of you will find it useful. Let me know.
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