I started out with one twitter account: @jennifer_heller. I think I’ve had it for a little over two years and it’s only within the past year that I’ve started enjoying using it at all. I’ve heard others share a similar experience: it takes some time, but it’s addictive as hell once you get into it. I can attest to that, but as someone balancing many competing priorities, it’s hard to prioritize reading hundreds of tweets a day. Especially since I’ve steadily added other twitter accounts to my list.
When I launched Van Gogh My Pet in the second half of 2009, I added a second twitter account: @vangoghmypet. This one, I thought, would concentrate on my pet and art related thoughts and would attract a different variety of people than @jennifer_heller. It seems to work; @vangoghmypet is on 42 pet and art related lists and my followers have steadily grown.
This graph of Van Gogh My Pet tweets verses website visits suggest that the tweets have very little if not nothing to do with increasing visits.
When I decided to brand my design and communications work as Artsy Geek Designs, it was a natural progression to add another twitter: @artsygeekdesign. Here I would tweet about my geeky subjects–web design, coding, communications. And maybe some art. Hey, @artsygeekdesign and @vangoghmypet can overlap a little right?? A further reason for separating @artsygeekdesign from @jennifer_heller is that I fully intend to expand and work with others in this business. They should be able to tweet from the business too!
I made the decision a few weeks ago to consolidate all my blogging here at www.jenniferheller.com. Believe me, I do not miss maintaining a blog at Van Gogh My Pet, and I can say with 100% certainty that I am not sorry I didn’t add yet another blog on at Artsy Geek Designs.
This January, Will and I are launching Lushes in Love, our new blog devoted to our endless love and appreciation for cocktails. You can check out the design–I put it up over the weekend, but we have yet to move in. I’ve already signed us up for a twitter: @lushesinlove and tweeted something like five high quality tweets. Thankfully, Will will also have to help with the @lushesinlove tweeting, but this addition marks my fourth twitter!
Who wants to follow a long-ass stream of nothing but links? Do you??
Perhaps it would be best to take a cue from my decision to simplify my blogging and simplify my twitter? One twitter, four subjects… perhaps that would make me a more interesting person to follow in general?
Perhaps I should embrace the robotic future of twitter and create automated twitter robots for all four… That just isn’t my style though. I believe in sincere, honest communication. When I notice that someone I follow is being a twitter-bot, I immediately unfollow.
So what to do? Nothing? Consolidate? Automate?
Oh, the problems associated with living a life on the internet. I’d appreciate any sound advice please!!
(This post could also be titled “How many Facebook pages are too many Facebook pages?”)
I think the prevailing wisdom is that targeting niches works better than a general approach online, as borne out by your first niche Twitter. One account on 4 subjects means that many of your followers will be bored by 3 out of 4 tweets and the appeal of your twitstream will be diluted. However, as you create additional Twitter accounts, your ability to create quality tweets will decrease since you will have less time to devote to each one. I would suggest keeping the niche Twitter accounts but deciding which subjects you are most interested in, and most qualified to provide interesting contributions to, and focus on making those quality accounts to follow, rather than spreading yourself too thin. Your main account can be a repository for your varied interests without bearing the burden of building a following for some specific purpose.
I agree with Ken to the extent that you should focus your efforts but disagree that it should be based on your ability to deliver quality. I am assuming that you can deliver quality on all topics but which ones do best on twitter? VMP has a steady following so you must keep it, however, are you focusing on growing VMP? Is growing VMP making you money? I say have Will manage the Lushes (luscious, I’m sorry) account as he is the mixologist and you pick 2. In other words, drop JH until you want to market JH.
Thanks you guys for the awesome feedback. I wonder now if I made the wrong choice about uniting all my blogging–but it’s soooo much easier so I’m thankful for that.
I think I’m going to try this robot twitter thing with Van Gogh My Pet! I’ll keep you posted.
Oh and the growing VGMP twitter is not really effective, though it’s growing.