Maybe I’m just being picky but, I don’t feel my Twitter account is open for business to my employer. The following comes from an ad looking for blog writers, part of what they expect in addition to passion and experience (experience wasn’t essential):
Bloggers who actively engage within their online communities and promote the content they write. 1 blog post + 3 twitter posts limited to 1 blog post + 3 twitter posts per day depending on length.
If you are being paid to write posts should you get paid extra for being their online marketer, taking care of promotions as well as the content? If you have your own blog you know promoting/ marketing takes up even more time than writing for the blog. I find I spend masses of time looking at other blogs so I can leave comments and ideas, finding forums and groups I might join, then making an effort to be active in forums and groups I have joined and a hundred or so other things which I do every day. (Or try to!)
Should it be expected that you would use your own Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon and other social media accounts this way? On one hand I understand, they want you to help promote yourself and your work (on their site). On the other hand… I consider my Twitter account personal, I don’t really want to have someone else tell me what to post or how often to post.
What do you think? Would you take the job knowing this is expected or would you change your mind about applying because of this? Of course, if you already use your Twitter account for blog promotion this may not make any difference to you.
- Is it possible to open a new Twitter account just for stuff like this?
- Would it be worth having a second account if no one signed up to read your Twitter ads?
- Have you unsubscribed from a feed or Twitter account due to too many posts? Too much clutter?
- Will you keep your friends and followers if your personal Twitter account runs more ads than personal chat?
I think it’s an issue that needs to be looked at. Most of the ads I read on the blog job boards had this expectation included. If you are a web writer be prepared and decide where you stand on the issue of letting your employer have a share of your Twitter account.