Twitter Do's & Don’ts: How to Maintain Professional & Personal Tweets

We all remember Justine Sacco’s poorly thought-out tweet about her trip to Africa, right? Perfect example of what NOT to tweet.

With the internet literally right at our fingertips, it’s never been easier to learn about someone through their social media accounts. Twitter is a popular platform and a favorite of many (including me), yet this social network has blurred the lines between personal and professionalism. Learning how to balance the two is a challenge. You don’t want to post a negative comment that may impact your future career (ahem Ms. Sacco); however, you also want to avoid only talking business matters and not having a human voice behind your account.

Below are some do’s and don’ts on how to master balancing personal and professional life on Twitter:


Connecting with professionals

• Do: Thank them for an informative article or blog post they wrote. “Thanks (name) for the great tips you listed in (name of article)!”

• Don’t: Annoy them with questions every day. DM or email them with any specific questions you may have.
  

Spring break

• Do: Tweet the hotel you stayed at during your break. “Amazing views from my room at the (name of hotel)! Thanks for a relaxing vacation.”

• Don’t: Drunk tweet your night at the hotel bar trying to get the cute bartender’s number.

Conferences/workshops

• Do: Engage with the speakers and other attendees. “Excited to hear from (name of speaker) at the (conference hashtag)!”

• Don’t: Complain how it’s a long day – no one likes a negative Nancy.

Relationship with your significant other

• Do: Tweet about the concert tickets they got you for your birthday. “Can’t wait to see (name or artist) live on Saturday night! Thanks to (boy/girlfriend name) for the awesome surprise!”

• Don’t: Whine about the fight you two had last night.

Sharing links

• Do: Add why you liked a certain post or article. “Loved this article on (blog name) talking about Millennials in the workforce! Good to remember as I graduate in May. (link to post)”

• Don’t: Just share links without giving your own opinion.

Personal interests

• Do: Show why you’re passionate about what you love. “Taking a walk through the woods to capture nature’s beauty – love sharing my photographs with others to inspire creativity!”

• Don’t: Depreciate those who don’t share your same interest. Everyone is free to their opinion.

If you have any tips or stories to share, feel free to comment below.

Happy Tweeting!

(photo credit: The Guardian)

Melissa Fortes is a senior Public Relations major at Illinois State University. She currently is the Public Affairs and Media Relations Intern at COUNTRY Financial and the PR/Fundraising Intern at Big Brothers Big Sisters. Melissa also serves on the Illinois State PRSSA executive board as secretary. Last spring, she studied abroad in Florence, Italy where she enriched her passion for travel, food and new cultures. This June, Melissa will begin her post grad career at the Chicago office of Weber Shandwick as a Consumer PR Intern.

Connect with Melissa on Twitter at @RemarksByMelis

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