Mumbai, March 5: If too many tweets spell trouble, it’s time to chant the -mantra.

Simply outsource.

From tech-savvy politician Shashi Tharoor to stars Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra and now Hrithik Roshan and wife Suzanne, the micro-blogging-cum-social networking site is fast becoming the personalised public relations tool of the celeb swish set.

But with a twist.

Most celebrities — wannabe geeks wary of making Net gaffes — are “outsourcing” even their Twitter space to PR firms.

“It is just a bogie — when celebs tweet, peep into their shadows, you might find ghosts lurking,” chuckles one of the top PR minds in the country, speaking under cover of anonymity.

What he left unsaid was that on most occasions, people, or “followers” in Twitter jargon, actually chat with ghost writers paid by PR agencies and employed by the high-profile twitterati.

When they don’t, they may well end up like Tharoor, who received a friendly warning from BJP’s Venkaiah Naidu yesterday that “too much tweeting will lead to quitting”.

Tharoor, the minister of state for external affairs, has raised hackles within the politically correct Congress circles with his tweets — his glaring posts being those referring to airline economy seats as the “cattle class” and disputing tighter visa norms suggested by the home ministry.

“Social media have made the job of a publicist all the more challenging. Previously, a publicist was a liaison between a celeb and the media, but now they have a third party also to take care of. Along with the media, a publicist is responsible to keep an interaction going between a celeb and direct fans,” said B. Sanjit Shastri, chief executive officer of Beehive Communications Ltd.

Shastri, whose company uses social media extensively — these are their fastest growing communication tool to reach out to the market — says there are some basic norms and courtesies of micro-blogging that celebs often miss in “DIY (do-it-yourself) Twitter posts”.

“Lack of such courtesies can backfire badly if the celeb/politician/high-profile user is unable to digest negative publicity and reacts adversely. So it is best to leave the job to professional communications experts and smart Bollywood stars are doing that,” he said.

Priyanka Chopra, Bollywood’s reigning screen diva, is a case in point. A source in the Mumbai-based communications firm Nine Winds Media and Entertainment Ltd. confirmed that her Twitter account is managed by the company.

Of late, Shah Rukh and Abhishek Bachchan have offended some of their followers by letting out steam on Twitter.

Shah Rukh famously asked his detractors to “SHUT UP” after some posted comments alleging that the Shiv Sena controversy around My Name is Khan was scripted to ensure a big-bang opening for the film.

Abhishek, who also oversees publicity for AB Corp, drew flak for tweeting stuff like: “We don’t deserve a talent like Mr. AMITABH BACHCHAN! Don’t think we can make movies to fit his talent!”

His response to criticism from tweeworld: “It’s my twitter page, so I have the freedom to write whatever I want and praise whoever I want. Don’t like it? Don’t read it!”

But his statement, say PR experts, has worked against his “friendly”, “chilled out” image.

“That will not do much for his image. Celebs need to realise that they may be financially and socially in a different league from their mundane fans and followers in real life — but Twitter is a great leveller. It gives the public the ability to speak directly to people and institutions once comfortably on a pedestal. Here everybody is worth just 140 characters — and when you are micro-blogging in cyberspace, you have to leave your ego at home. Or you will reveal a glimpse of you that you do not want to be part of your brand image,” warns the PR guru.

Twitter, concede PR hands, has revolutionised the concept of communication. For one, it allows ordinary persons access to public figures like Shah Rukh, Tharoor, cricket czar Lalit Modi and news television priestess Barkha Dutt, who has SRK among her followers.

The informal nature of the posts, which have to be restricted to 140 characters, allows the celebrities to communicate a lot of things they may not otherwise have been able to say in a formal statement issued through the traditional channels. Also, one does not have to pay too much attention to grammar and niceties of the language.

“But it is an open secret that B-townies and their handlers use ghost Twitter writers to keep fans updated on the latest twists and turns, often in the star’s own voice,” said the PR guru.

Australian actor Hugh Jackman was among the first to admit Twitter outsourcing . Jackman had inadvertently referred to the iconic Sydney Opera House as the “Opera Center”, an error for which the star was forced to concede that he used a staff member to write Twitter entries.

Twitter regulars say they often come across tweeple like Asfaq Tapia, who are self-confessed Bollywood publicity professionals promoting stars, movies or their music.

Rapper 50 Cent’s web manager Chris Romero has gone on record claiming that he often tweets on the singer’s behalf.