I have really grown to love Twitter in the last two months.
I must admit, when a friend told me about it a few years ago, I thought it was kind of dumb. But now I see the value of it from a marketing/researching/networking standpoint.
At first, I only used it to announce my blog posts (through Twitterfeed), but now I do a lot more manual updates.
Yes, I’m officially hooked! 😀
Even though I’ve had my Twitter account for nearly 3 years, I just started actively promoting it in the last 2 months. I’m seeing some pretty decent results. Not to mention my follower count has increased by over 300 in just a couple of months.
But there’s one aspect of Twitter that I struggle with, and that is finding the balance between personal and business. I’d love to get your opinion on this.
Currently, I use Twitter for my website and blog-related tweets, but have noticed that many of the Net Marketers I follow, use one account for their personal and business tweets.
On one side, I can see the benefits. It gives people a glimpse inside your personality and offers a nice break from the regular routine.
Plus, Twitter updates are only 140 characters or less, so a personal tweet is not as distracting as reading a 10-paragraph blog post on an unrelated topic.
But on the downside, it can turn a lot of people off if they followed you because they wanted to keep up with your business/website, and you are tweeting about walking your dog or combing your hair. 😉 Sometimes I find it distracting, but maybe I’m in the minority.
Most people who search for me on Twitter, know me from my websites and/or blog. So I assume the majority want to keep up with what’s going on with my sites.
Personally I would feel a little odd posting too many mundane updates throughout the day. A few here and there are OK, but I think you have to find a balance.
Now of course, if you are using Twitter to keep up with your friends and family, the mundane updates are understandable because your followers are people who know you personally. But if the majority follow you because of your business, I feel there is a difference.
I go back and forth on this. Sometimes I don’t mind the personal tweets from people I follow because it is a good way to show your personality.
But I will admit, there are some who go overboard on the personal tweets. In fact, I have stopped following people for that very reason.
So I’d love to know your thoughts on this. No need to answer all the questions below, but I added them to kick-start the discussion.
1) If you have a business online and use Twitter, do you tweet about personal things? If so, how often?
2) Do you like it when people you follow post a lot of personal/mundane updates?
3) What are your expectations when you follow someone?
4) Do you have a separate Twitter account for your personal updates?
So I have a facebook account, but facebook to me is more for socializing, so folks posting mundane things are ok to me. Nonetheless, I still think it’s silly sometimes when they post random silly things on there.
In your case Lisa, I think it’s ok if you tweet a couple of mundane things since it creates a sense of personality with you account. I know there is a tendency to want to be professional because it builds credibility; however, folks have a tendency to “observe” others. I think it’s harmless but obviously not too much though. You are right, a balance is necessary.
I guess sometimes experimenting can be helpful.
Initially I had one twitter account for my site but all I did was tweet new posts excessively and just followed about 700 plus random ppl & businesses but really didn’t tweet too much personal tweets. Then my account was suspended which caused me to start up a personal account & this time I made sure I followed real ppl and sum businesses but I tweet a lot of personal updates along w/ my site posts tweets as well. But I have just as many followers as my site’s twitter account except my followers are real ppl that can relate to me on some level. And my philosophy is they may not visit my site the 1st couple tweets they see but once they get to know me a little bit they may be more inclined to at least check out what my site is about and I think I have gained so many followers & visitors to my site by giving my followers a piece of me and my site. B/c let’s face it, it’s a little annoying when someone is continuously attempting to sell you something but I’ve found by being a bit more personable, my site’s visits, subscribers, & exposure has increased tremendlously! & I only market/promote my site via twitter & FB! But I love twitter & am addicted as you are Lisa!
1) If you have a business online and use Twitter, do you tweet about personal things? If so, how often?
Yes, often! More than I plug my site!
2) Do you like it when people you follow post a lot of personal/mundane updates?
Yes. Sometimes they can be a bit much but their easy to ignore.
3) What are your expectations when you follow someone?
I expect to hopefully build a networking relationship if applicable.
4) Do you have a separate Twitter account for your personal updates?
Yes, but I use my personal & business account to post my site posts.
Just wanted to leave my 2 cents here. I use Twitter mainly to promote my site and my Hubpage articles. By writing useful articles and directing people to them through Twitter, I feel like I’m giving them something for their click, and their follow. Since my site promotes my LOCAL service business, I search for Twitter users in my local area who have an interest or business affiliation related to my website content.
As for personal messages on Twitter, I tend to return a follow from a person who posts personal tweets, but if ALL of their posts are of a personal, mundane nature, I unfollow or block them because….who wants to read all their personal info?
I’ve found that if you inject a little humor into your posts, people will read, click, and follow. I’m a home inspector who does inspections for mold, so I post a humorous message about mold and direct people to the mold info page of my site. Example: “Got something funny growing in your basement, besides your teenager’s pot plants? Get the facts about MOLD at http://www.YourPage.com.
Works like a charm.
Keep up the great work, Lisa….I really like your sites and your generous instruction.
Im going to give that a try, I don’t really use twitter a lot because I just don’t think I’m that interesting lol , and from some of the tweets I read im not the only one lol but I will work with it, perhaps I can get more readers to my blog.
Thanks for great info and tips!
.-= Iskander´s last blog … What I found today! ! =-.
Hi, I just got on twitter but I don’t really know what to twit about. lol My life is just not that interesting, and from some of the people that I follow neither are theirs lol But I will try to get on and work with it , try to promote my blog and see what happens.
.-= Iskander´s last blog … What I found today! ! =-.
how do you add the follow my blog on twitter button to your blog?
I’m new to twitter. How do you get people to follow you? Do they just find you by chance?
.-= claire´s last blog … How to Boost Self-Confidence =-.
Use the search feature to search for topics/tweets related to your site on and @reply to them. They may follow you in return. Also promote your twitter URL on your blog. Keep your tweets focused around one main topic. If your main reason for using Twitter is to promote your blog, tweet about things that are relevant to the content on your blog. That way you know the interests of your followers.
Personal tweets here and there between the business tweets show that there’s a real human in there somewhere. I’ve seen some personal tweets which convinces me that some people have way too much time on their hands.
I post to twitter a few times a week mostly business but now and again a personal tweet won’t hurt.I think it is a great place to share free info you find on the web that will help people learn about business ideas .Also I love to follow my passion womens NCAA basketball as I am a big Terps fan!So you can go to one place and let people get to know you,promote your own business and follow your passion all at the same place.
thanks
Jacob
Jacob Rhodes’s last blog post..Make Money with Niche Marketing
I’m still fairly new at it but I use one account for both. (www.twitter.com/firstthird). Well, more accurately, I don’t really use it for personal stuff but I try to make my work related tweets human. I despise tweets that are sales pitches and I despise tweets that are totally mundane; I like people to tell me something I didn’t know or direct me to a site or an article I wouldn’t have found on my own. I like one or two tweets a day; anyone who sends more than five regularly gets unfollowed. You might check out Penelope Trunk – I think she does an excellent job of tweeting professionally with a very human touch.
Couldn’t agree more, Allen. The more I use Twitter, the more comfortable I’ve become with adding a personal tweet here and there. I try not to go overboard with them and I also try to make sure that even the personal tweets will have some kind of mass appeal. I completely agree with you on the habitual mundane tweets. Those folks get unfollowed immediately.
Going to check Penelope Trunk now.
I feel that what you want out of Twitter is subjective. A nice mix of personal and business-like posts lends itself to a more “open” conversation. People get sick of being bombarded by marketing messages.
I’m more apt to reply to a personal message and open a line of communication than I am an “all business” message.
I will retweet relevant and interesting information, but typically not personal messages.
So, if you want to start a conversation, add a personal flair to your message. If you want your message to get passed around and retweeted, make it interesting and relevant to your list of followers.
I’m still trying to figure out how to balance personal and business. I’ve set up two accounts to separate them, but its hard.
Hey Lisa,
This is my first post on your blog but in review of twitter i think that it is like all of the other social networking sites, a place for people to post information about their business or personal lives. I think that from a personal standpoint that twitter has its place due to its simplicity. Majority of the people that I follow have mobile devices (iphones and blackberry devices )and twitter does a great job of letting you know where a person posts from. This is great from a marketing aspect as you have a plethora of focus groups available at your fingertips.
I have personally just joined about a month ago and it has helped me stay ahead of the competition. Being a DJ you always want to get the newest music first. And living in a smaller market this seems to be so beneficial as the overall competition is light.
I think that business and personal should be two distinct accounts. That saying never mix business with pleasure can be inserted at any time here…lol
1) If you have a business online and use Twitter, do you tweet about personal things? If so, how often?
I just started on Twitter, but have used Facebook for over a year and I do about 70 business and 30 personal as all of my friends are folks that in the same industry as me and are peers and competitors.
2) Do you like it when people you follow post a lot of personal/mundane updates?
It does not bother me as I like to know about some personal details of some of my friends.
3) What are your expectations when you follow someone?
I expect to learn tips in areas where they are knowledgeble in my field of interest.
4) Do you have a separate Twitter account for your personal updates?
No, I like the fact that I have a ‘Brand” so I use it along with my real name where you have to provide a real name.
1. When I was a kid, I remember going into the neighborhood gas/car service station and we all sat around and talked, even with the owners. That kind of made it more personal. I suppose if Dell tried to get personal on their twitter account it would be different – maybe. But then again, I don’t know if I’d care that Dell was getting personal on twitter. 🙂 I don’t know if I’d mix business with letting people know I’m brushing my teeth, unless you’re in some kind dentistry business.
2. I just filter out the personal/mundane stuff. There’s so many tweets that it’s easy just to let it fly by. Facebook, kind of the same for me. I started on facebook because of friends and family, so I don’t look at facebook as going after business – yet. But twitter is just too incredible for e-business stuff. For example, I created an account on twitter to sell an affiliate ebook, drove traffic to it, mixed in some news and helpful personal stuff, and made 2 sales in 7 days. I could never have done that with a new website, that quickly.
3. No expectations when I follow someone. If people don’t follow back, I unfollow them after a week – my weekend maintenance schedule. They’ll either catch up or we’ll reconnect later. If you grow your twitter account too fast, they’ll suspend your account. Also, if you don’t have at least 1,800 followers, you can’t go over the 2,000 following mark.
4. I currently have a few twitter accounts and it all depends on what I’m using it for. I don’t just have a personal-only account. I think in the end if you use it for business, you have to try and provide value to folks. Blend in some personal stuff that’s a bit more informative than, “I’m brushing my teeth” and I think it might help people “feel” a bit more personal connection with you.
On another note, I haven’t used google in a bout a week when I search for stuff on the web. I’ve been using search.twitter.com a lot lately.
Lisa, you have a great blog here and I found it by your video on the thesis theme site. Very nicely done. Thanks for all the info.
Bill Bolmeier’s last blog post..My First Google Adsense Check
I began using Twitter because a techie friend of mine suggested it. After a little observation, I realized the potential. I’m a photographer with a website and blog, so I decided to use Twitter as a tool to help expand my network. I do tweet about personal stuff all the time, but not as a constant stream of tweets—and the mundane stuff like combing my hair. Maybe I saw something interesting on the subway or found an interesting TV program.
As an art director, I’ve purchased stock photography from a fellow photographer on Twitter. When people tweet about the personal stuff in their lives, I feel that I’m getting to know them—building a friendship. I am experiencing some of my followers turn into clients (either for graphic design work or photography). I use only one Twitter account.
When I follow someone, I expect that hopefully we have similar interests or at least they have good/useful information that I might need. There are some tweets that people send out that I would categorize as TMI though. I believe you need to engage with your followers and build relationships. You never know when those will lead to new clients. I try to make sure that my tweets will come back to “bite me on the butt” later.
Mary B.’s last blog post..Spring is Blooming
I really loved twitter and I would like to use it in future but I was having a little bit problem. I was getting a great response from my followers but now they just seam to be slowed down and they don’t really care about it.
I am experimenting on it and I hope I find the solution.
——
Mohammad Afaq
My twitter page
Mohammad Afaq’s last blog post..Why you should not use PLR articles or copied articles on your site?
Now I know why I can’t register for adsense now after seeking out @adsense on twitter. The answer was right there in their tweets. 🙂
Ah hah… see there. You’ll be a Twitter lover before it’s over. 😉
i think i know who you are talking about… when i saw his tweets (music trivia day apparently, haha..) i was a little baffled. as the fail whale likes to say “too many tweets!” 😉
hey lisa we’ve already chatted a bit about this on WB – but just wanted to add one thing. i think a personal tweet from someone i follow for business reasons – if it’s humorous or quirky or funny – is ok and would be welcomed because, as you said, gives you a glimpse of that person’s personality. now don’t get me wrong i’m not interested in hearing about what your cat had for dinner or that you are on the way to the dentist (i’ve gotten both of those tweets at least twice!)… but the folks i do follow for my business that throw in a funny, personal tweet every ONCE in awhile – have the right idea, IMO. it’s the folks who tweet 9 times in one minute and only 2 of those tweets are business related, who drive me up a wall. i don’t want to stop following them because their business related tweets are useful and i def. want to get them – but the “in line at starbucks” and “rain rain go away” tweets make it really tough to keep following them.
long story LONG 😉 – i think a personal tweet every now and again from you would be great and very much welcomed – unless it’s to say you’re really enjoying your vanilla latte but you wish it would stop raining 😉
Yep, I agree Liz. Balance is the key. 🙂 And speaking of out of balance, I just stopped following a popular blogger for this very reason. I logged into Twitter today and his updates took up my entire first page. (All were personal. None of them were related to his blog or internet marketing.) That’s what I mean by finding balance. I guess I’ll just have to keep up with his content by going to his blog or RSS feed instead. 🙁
Twitter seems rather silly to me, but that’s my opinion. So yeah, I would probably mainly use it for ebusiness enhancing down the line. Lisa is right though in putting a personality to one’s tweets. This is why she’s doing so well with her websites; she’s everywhere, which can be connoted to signify that the content provided is genuine and practical. I do plan on learning more about twitter, however. Thanks.
I’m not sure why folk complain about other people’s twitter/status updates. Essentially, people are using it for the purpose that it’s for. It’s our choice to use it for specific and productive entities, and as said here already, we have that right to discard the person who’s tweeting(not sure if I’m using correct twitter jargon here) about arbitrary and banal day-to-day occurences and updates. Agreeably, tweeting too many times in a small time period is definitely annoying! I just don’t feel a need to knock people for using a format for what it’s created for, that doesn’t fit my point of reference and guidelines. Perhaps, my views about this area would be more opinionated once I get the hang of twitter.
I think a lot depends on what your expectations are when you follow someone. For example, if I follow a friend of mind that I know personally, I don’t mine, the arbitrary/mundane tweets because that’s a friend.
But if I follow a Net Marketer who is known for their site or blog, I am not really interested in what they had for breakfast everyday. That may sound cold, but I’m just being honest. Most (not all) people who find them on Twitter are probably going to be interested in information related to what they’re known for.
For example, there are a few people whom I follow that I absolutely LOVE their work and about 20% of their tweets are related to their site/blog and the rest are personal. You mentioned we have the right to unfollow someone. That’s very true, but here’s the problem I am running into. I enjoy reading the 20% of their tweets related to their business and what this person is known for online.
I don’t necessarily want to un-follow them because I don’t want to miss out on the 20% that is relevant. So sometimes weeding through the 80% of mundane updates to get to the 20% that are relevant is the issue.
I agree. It is absolutely everyone’s choice on what they Tweet about and we have the right to unfollow if we are uninterested. But it gets a little tricky when you follow Net Marketers for their tips and advice and have to weed through the majority of personal updates. That’s been my experience. Perhaps I’m just a picky Twitter follower. lol
Well said, Lisa. Whether it’s wrong or right, when you see a Net Marketer on Twitter, I think most of us expect them to tweet about their business. Not saying that’s what they HAVE to do, but I just think a lot of us expect that. And if you’re the type of person who is not interested in the small details of someone you do not know personally, then I can see why people choose to unfollow.
I think the people who are complaining are mainly talking about Net Marketers they follow who post the majority of nonsense tweets and minimal (or not enough) related tweets. Sometimes I think it’s best to separate the accounts. That way the people who found you and want to keep up with your site can follow one account and those who don’t mind the mundane updates can follow the other or both.
Here’s an example, Keri. Let’s say I just went to your blog because I’m interested in fitness. I see you have a twitter feed you are promoting from your blog.
I read your feed and see your last 3 tweets were about nutrition. Cool! I’m going to follow you because I assume that’s what you will be tweeting about. Suddenly 80% of your twitter updates are about your personal life and less about nutrition. I will probably unfollow you because I don’t know you. I found your Twitter feed thru your site so I just assumed that’s what the majority of your tweets will be about.
Maybe I’m making assumptions but that’s just me and I think that’s what people are saying here. Maybe you’re more patient than the rest of us. 🙂
It’s funny how internet marketing has changed the face of Twitter. Twitter was originally started for casual updates between friends and family, but when Net Marketers use it (especially if they promote it from their blog), many expect their tweets to be about their site/business. It’s just the way it is for a lot of us.
I just started using Twitter, mainly to post updates about my blog and follow other fellow bloggers. I don’t see why folks post mundane things like “Good morning, off to the airport..” and stuff like that. I really don’t care. If I am following your blog, I am looking for information.
@Lisa: I really like your blog; I find many of the articles helpful, since I am new to blogging.
I just joined Twitter for business purposes. There are different levels of personal I agree. Posts that include how you “pounded back a few” lack finesse at best.
In my first week on I notice:
Posting too many times in one or two minutes so my page is filled with your face/URL is annoying. Please stop it.
Posting the same info that seven other people did (I counted) on the same page lacks originality. I know its exciting that they have 1000’s of followers but posting without checking says a lot about you.
The best posts IMHO have quick tips in them and give a click-thru to more of that type of FREE information. Blatant constant sales pitches and brags = /eyeroll.
Can I ask what everyone thinks about followers who are in the same field (real estate) in the same city? We are competing for business so is the point just to spy or steal interest? Not sure how I feel about it – advise if you can please.
Well said, Terri. My feeling exactly!! What people have to realize is that the rules of basic marketing still apply on Twitter (for the most part). Just like I would never want to read a blog by someone bragging about themselves all the time and posting nothing but affiliate links. Same goes for people I follow on Twitter. You need a balance but it starts with providing useful information that people care about. And if you do that on a regular basis, people don’t mind and actually even welcome an occasional fun or personal tweet.
I want to make it clear that I’m talking about it from a business standpoint and those using it to promote their sites and blogs. Not people who use it for friends/keeping in touch.
I actually created two separate Twitter accounts so that one I could separate business/personal. I can be personal without allienating potential customers, and the other account remains professional and related only to business things.
I would suggest sticking to mostly business tweets. If you have something personal to tweet that actually shows personality, I would throw that in occasionally. But “I’m on my way to Starbucks” doesn’t show personality, IMO. I’d include some personal tweets, but be wise about it.
I wish everyone could. Life would be great. Have a great day Carletta.
I do not like to mix business with pleasure so I do not like to see all those chats….I’LL PICK YOU OUP AT 7 GURL. I delete those people and follow them on my personal twitter.
I only want to see you and other great minded business people on Tashaharris Twitter.
Thank you for beign such a great teacher lisa.
Much love
Hey Lisa,
I want to know your personal bidniz! lol Not to the extreme of you brushing your teeth and such, but stuff a business woman do one a daily basis. I feel it would be very motivational for you to throw in some personal tweets. Personally, its quite boring when all I am reading is serious business related Tweets. By mentioning other interesting details, it possible to attract new followers. My humble opinion. Keeping using your great skills and you will be fine I am sure. Bless.
LOL, yes. I think it’s about balance. A personal tweet here and there is fine but I do think some people go overboard.
Yes, youre right. It got out of hand … they KEPT FORGETTING not to put their sex stuff in there. or a link to xtube vid or something. so i had to just stop that. I don’t have a problem with ‘YOU’ all on this page knowing that but I don’t want my business contact to know that I am going to get a bikini wax. (ha ha yea right). Maybe ill change my mind one day…but my porn star friends can leave their links on the personal one. 🙂
LOL!
Great questions. I unfollow people who give me a blow by blow account of their day (too boring!) or tweet all the time. Sometimes too I think about having two accounts, one personal and one business, but I have trouble enough keeping up with the one I have – plus the procrastination/distraction temptations could easily double with two accounts. Love your site and blog, Lisa, and appreciate all the great information you share.
I haven’t jumped on the Twitter bandwagon yet but I am beginning to think I should as I keep seeing it everywhere! I will say though that I would definitely find it distracting and a little annoying to follow someone for business purposes and then have to read personal updates about them. That’s just my opinion though! Thanks for the post. Going to check out twitterfeed.
We had an interesting discussion regarding this on WB recently. It’s a tough question and I’m not too sure.
I haven’t caught the “Twitter bug” yet, so perhaps I’m not the best person to give any advice. However, from a neutral point of view, I would probably agree with Lisa. If I was following somebody because of their business, I wouldn’t be overly interested in their personal Tweets. That said, a few personal Tweets occasionally may add to your credibility and allow people to get to know you a bit better. Just don’t over do it and start telling people you’re combing your hair or going to the toilet!
~~SB16
I have a twitter account for ThemeGrrl but I haven’t started using it yet. When I do, I intend to keep the tweets related to the subject of my blog, which is wordpress themes. I think I’ll be able to convey a sense of personality through these tweets, even though they’ll strictly be on topic. I think the occasional personal tweet is ok, but are to be used sparingly.
I have another twitter account for my retail business, only just started actively using it recently. The character making the tweets is sort of a mascot for the business called Mr. Fuzzy, I decided to use him as the tweeter to make things a little more fun so it’s just not business updates all the time. I wanted to make it more fun to follow. Still finding my feet with using twitter though!
Using the same personal/business account makes people feel better because it makes the marketer seem more real and genuine. This is great when it is really used honestly. That’s really the whole allure, it makes success appear very possible.
It’s good 😀 You just got to have the right philosophy, market stuff that interests you, work hard at it, and win. You might have setbacks, but success is inevitable if you keep trying
Initially i had one twitter account for my site but all i did was tweet new posts excessively and just followed about 700 plus random ppt $ business but really didn’t tweet too much for sonal tweets.
1. Business and Personal. I don’t know how often but it’s not much.
2. Well, if they post too much of their personal stuffs, I don’t read them much anyways. I just read the recent tweets and those from my Twitter friends using Peoplebrwsr.
3. Blog updates and latest stuffs. I mostly follow the best Internet Marketers but now, I think I auto-follow people who follow me so I need a special tool like Peoplebrowsr to filter tweets. It’s just like Tweetdeck.
4. I don’t.
I have a few different accounts on Twitter.
One is for my online business which has over 1,500 followers, AND I’m following everyone who follows me because I want to be able to interact with those people.
I also have a personal account where I follow the people whose tweets I really don’t want to miss like family and friends.
Finally, I have a Twitter account to follow social media people like you, John Chow, Problogger, DoshDosh, etc. I do this so that when I feel like reading those kinds of Tweets, I’ll just log into that account.
Twitter needs a categorization system!
As for your question about personal tweets on a business account: yes, I do tweet some personal things but I try to keep it related to my topic for the most part. I want people to get to know me and form a connection, but they don’t need to know when I’m brushing my teeth or watching a movie…
I also like it that way when I’m following people like the social media people. I like hearing about some personal stuff so I know I’m not just following a person trying to sell me something, but too much is annoying.
Hi Lisa,
This is my first comment on your blog.
I’ve been using Twitter for a couple of months now mostly for tweets about my website and some related travel affiliate programs.
I also use it to find people who live or travel in Jordan (that’s the theme of my site), connect with them, exchange information etc.
Every now and then I have some non-business related tweets – things or pictures I find funny or just replying to someone’s tweet – but they are not really personal (no breakfast menu and such).
My family and friends don’t use Twitter at all so I have a personal blog to keep them updated (I live abroad).
do you monitor what additional traffic you get from twitter? do you get much?
for me, i have a bunch of people following the blog, and it is public, but i don’t really get any traffic coming from twitter that i can see.
i find for me it is more effective to comment on relevant websites and articles on other blogs and websites. i get more traffic this way
I just started on twitter also. I don’t comment everyday, but I do use it for personal and business use. I think an occasional personal tweet gives everyone an insight to your personality which also puts a personality on your business. It lets people know you are just like some, trying to make ends meet in the business world like everyone else. And you like other things besides business.
This blog was right on time for me. I’m a bit loss with Twitter having just signed up a few days ago. I guess I expected more from it from the hype that I’ve heard. Looks to me that it’s just a status updating format. But, as you say, it can serve as another avenue to e-business, which is what I want to use it for.
I don’t use Twitter, but when I went to a few accounts for marketers I follow, I saw a bunch of crap so I chose not to explore it more. I personally think if you are a person known for your sites you should keep most of your tweets about your site and create a separate account for your business. I guess an occasional personal update is OK but it seems people go way overboard. I personally don’t really care what John Chow is watching on TV. 🙂