Archive for the ‘twitter’ Category

Twuffer.com is a Twitter tool used to schedule tweets for future posting. Why in the world would you want to schedule tweets? If you are an Internet Marketer, this can be a very useful tool for sharing links, blog posts and website updates. Even if you’re just a dabbler in blogging and social media, Twuffer will alert your friends of your blog posts and other events at a scheduled rate. This way, you are not “spamming”, but you can ensure that your promotional information gets to all of your contacts no matter when they are online.

Simply log into Twuffer using your Twitter credentials and the easy user interface pops up.

Type your tweet in the field, then select the time you want the tweet to launch. You can even tweet now from Twuffer. Click the “set status” button and your tweet is scheduled. You can view your queued tweets by clicking on the “queued tweets” tab. If you schedule a tweet and change your mind, you can easily delete the tweet from your queue by clicking the red “X” to the right of your tweet.

Because Twuffer uses a calendar interface to set the date of your tweets, you can schedule them as far in the future as you would like. This is useful when you are planning to be absent from your Internet endeavors for any length of time. You can schedule your blog posts, and then schedule your Tweets to follow, and let your enterprise run on auto pilot while you focus on other things.

Don’t forget to make sure your settings are right so that your scheduled tweets post at the correct time. You can set this up on the “settings” tab. Twuffer will default to this tab when you log in so you can be confident that your settings are correct. Twuffer also give you the option to post your tweets to their homepage, so it’s all about exposure.

What others are saying…

Twuffer has been met with some opposition from the Twitter community, especially by those who think that Twitter should be a real-time tool only. However, many Twitter users use Twitter for marketing and promotion in addition to personal uses, so scheduling tweets becomes necessary at times.

While you can post on any date using Twuffer, timed posted are limited to each hour on the hour. The upside to this is that it prohibits abusers of the service to send a tweet every five minutes, but it can also be stifling as well since the posting times aren’t as free as they could be.

Pros

• The convenience of future posting
• Easy-to-use interface
• User-friendly tools

Cons

• Website is slow
• Twuffer is in beta so it can only get better, right?

This is the last article in my 10-part series on Twitter Tools and Apps. It doesn’t stop here, please consider subscribing to my RSS feed so you don’t miss my future posts.

TwitterCounter.com is another Twitter-centered site providing Twitter users with all kinds of stats. Since TwitterCounter is a stat site that is powered by Twitter, you don’t have to log into it with your Twitter details, you just click the “Add” button and then click “Allow” for TwitterCounter to retrieve your Twitter stats. Once you add yourself, TwitterCounter is going to want some basic information from you and will make you a couple offers. For example, you can sign up to receive weekly stats information to your email account. TwitterCounter also has a Pro account that will provide you with a few extras like more stats, retweet tracking, browsing more than your last 3 months of tweets and export options. As of this writing, the price for the TwitterCounter Pro account is $32.50 per year.

You can also set up your TwitterMail through TwitterCounter.com. What is TwitterMail, you ask? TwitterMail allows you to post tweets using your email account. This can keep you from incurring text charges when using your cell phone with Twitter. TwitterMail assigns you a unique email address, or you can specify one. You simply send an email to that address and Twittermail posts the body or subject of the email to your Twitter account. Make sure no one can guess your Twittermail address, otherwise some unwanted people might be posting to your Twitter account. You can also receive tweets from your favorite Twitter users by adding their Twitter user name to your Twittermail account settings.

TwitterCounter returns statistics regarding your Twitter account almost immediately. You can view general information such as your follower count and bio and also follower count predictions and your overall Twitter rank. TwitterCounter also has a few tools for advertising your Twitter account on your blog, website, or social media profile. You can create a small button advertising how many followers you have, a large button showing your follower count, and a customizable Twitter widget that displays information about your account.

Other than that, TwitterCounter will show you the Top 100 Twitter users and the Top 100 Lists. You can see how you are ranked among the likes of Ashton Kutcher and Oprah Winfrey. It really is a useful tool and one-stop shop for everything Twitter.

Pros

• Lots of information fast
• Provides tools
• Powered by Twitter

Cons

• Must pay for Pro features
• Does have trending topics stats

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Twittertise.com is a site that lets you advertise using Twitter and track the effect of that advertising. The first thing you do after logging into Twittertise with your Twitter log in information is set your time zone. You can also opt to follow Twittertise with Twitter to receive their updates, but it is not a requirement. With Twittertise, you must schedule your advertisement using the simple calendar interface. There is an option that will allow you to send your tweet immediately.

Scheduling your tweets is a good way to send out several different tweets regarding the same advertisement or to send the same tweet numerous times. This ensures a wider reach for your advertisement. Remember to set your tweets wide enough apart so that your followers don’t feel you are spamming them. If you make a mistake in your tweet, you can simply delete or edit it from the queue. There is also a function so that you can view your tweet. All of these features are under “Actions” in your Dashboard.

Twittertise is really a simple application to use. Each time you send a tweet using Twittertise, it lists the tweet in your Sent Tweets. Your Sent Tweets list the tweet, the date and time, your link and the status. To view the details regarding your tweet, click the first icon under “Actions”. This shows you how many clicks your link has received including direct clicks.

This allows you to track the effectiveness of your advertisement and the effectiveness of using Twittertise overall. Since Twitter lacks built-in analytical tools, Twittertise allows you to track the effectiveness of your Twitter marketing campaign. To tweet in different time zones, adjust your settings any time by clicking the “Settings” link in the upper right corner of the page.

What Others Are Saying…
A lot big companies are using Twittertise. You can see a sampling of who these companies are by visiting the Twittertise blog at http://blog.twittertise.com/ or perform a Twitter search using the keyword Twittertise to see who is buzzing from and about Twittertise in real time.

Pros

• Easy-to-use interface
• Ability to track clicks

Cons

• You can only log in for 24 hours at a time
• Tweeting from Twittertise takes a lot of mouse clicks

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Twtaway.com lets you start and run a contest on Twitter. Why would you need to start a contest? Anytime you have a product to promote, the best way to promote it is a free giveaway. No matter what type of products and services you provide as a business or as a hobby, nothing creates a buzz quite like a contest. Twtaway eliminates the need to log in or create an account. You can get down to the nitty gritty by clicking the “Start a Contest!” button.

Fill out the form as follows:

• Organizers – Your twitter name (separate multiple names with commas)
• Sponsors – Include the twitter name of any sponsors
• Contest Title – Type a title for your contest
• Image – Paste in the link to a TwitPic, TweetPhoto or Yfrog image
• Description – Type a brief description of your contest
• More Info URL – Type the link to the contest details or your website
• When – Type the date range of your contest and use the drop down menus to specify times. Use the drop down menu to choose your time zone.
• Number of winners – Type the number of winners allowed
• Hashtags – Type in any hashtags related to your contest i.e. #contest Separate multiple hashtags with commas

You’re ready. Click the “Create Twtaway” button.

Twtaway creates a page with a custom URL for your contest where you can track participants, comments and retweets. You can also grab the HTML to embed a widget for your contest on your blog or website by clicking the “Embed” tab. Twtaway doesn’t automatically tweet about your contest. Click one of the Share buttons to post your contest details to Twitter, Facebook or Google Buzz. It’s up to you to promote your contest. You can tweet it yourself or use a scheduler to tweet updates automatically.

At the end of your contest, Twtaway will randomly choose a winner or winners for you. It as simple as that. Twtaway is a powerful promotional tool at your fingertips.

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TwtQpon.com allows you to create coupons for your goods or services that are exclusive to your Twitter followers and visitors only. This allows you to run specials to promote not only your goods and services, but your Twitter account as well. TwtQpon is a great way to get new followers for your business. To create a twtQpon, click the “Create a Twitter Coupon” button at twtQpon.com. A simple form loads and you are well on your way to creating your coupon, or TwtQpon. Fill in the form as follows:

• Twitter name – Type your Twitter user name
• Coupon title – Type a title for your coupon
• Coupon details – Outline your offer in 140 characters or less
• Image – Include an image file in GIF, PNG or JPG format (optional)
• Coupon Code – Type a code to activate your coupon
• Redirect URL – Type the URL to your website or profile
• Valid Until – Set an expiration date for your coupon

Click the “Create a Twitter Coupon” button below the form and you are done!

TwtQpon then creates a printable coupon with a link the website that you specify where users can input the coupon code you provided. An image was not used for this test, but using an image will brand your coupon. TwtQpon has convenient “Share” buttons that allow you to post your coupon on Facebook and Google Buzz in addition to Twitter. You can also use their TwtQpon link and post it on your website, online profile, or post it in scheduled tweets.

TwtQpon clearly states who created the coupon (your Twitter ID), and lists when the coupon expires. The result is a professional looking coupon that is brandable all for free. Use TwtQpon to enhance your marketing any time.

What Others Are Saying…
TwtQpon is putting local and small businesses on the same level with the big dogs. TwtQpon allows the small business to provide a professional level service to their customers. In the meantime, companies like Dell are using Twitter to offer exclusive deals on computer equipment and has surpassed $2 million in sales using Twitter alone. Twitter is powerful, and TwtQpon enhances that power.

Pros

• TwtQpon doesn’t post your coupon until you choose to share it
• Creates a professional, brandable coupon
• User friendly
• Tracks comments and retweets about your coupon

Cons

• No hit counts
• No automatic tweeting

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Since Twitter doesn’t currently offer any type of hit counter or analytics to track your tweets and traffic, TweetStats.com to the rescue! TweetStats creates colorful graphs of your Twitter activity so you get a visual idea of how much tweeting you actually do. TweetStats will show you how many times you tweet per hour, how many times you tweet per month, a timeline of your tweets and statistics regarding your @replies all in an easy-to-understand graph.

Type your Twitter user name into the field at TweetStats.com and wait for the magic. The site takes a while due to the volume of users, number of your tweets and Twitter API limits. In the meantime, Tweetstats entertains you with funny quotes and shows you a featured user. If you don’t want to wait, Tweetstats even provides you with a custom URL so you can save the page and return later when your stats are done loading.

In addition to graphing your tweets, Tweetstats also graphs a couple general stats from all of Twitter. You can view a pie chart of popular applications that are used to post to Twitter including the web, Tweetdeck and UberTwitter to name a few. Tweetstats generates a bar graph showing the Twitter users with the most @replies for the day. At the bottom of the Twitter stats page, Tweetstats has a list of Twitter applications that aren’t very well known. If you like trying new things before the multitude is buzzing about it, this is a good opportunity for you to be the first to find the next big application.

If you like to stay abreast of trending topics, Tweetstats can help with that too. TweetStats shows two bar graphs: one for the top 10 trending topics of the day and one for the current trending topics. Aside from the graphs, which seem to be a TweetStats specialty, you can also view the day’s trending topic in a clickable word cloud. There is also a word cloud for the top trending Twitter topics of all time. Clicking one of these words takes you to Twitter search and shows you the related tweets. This can be a resource for following like-minded Twitter users and is also useful for linking to various tweets on a topic.

As you can see, TweetStats offers a wealth of information to the Twitter user. You can use the information to track your Twitter usage as well as Twitter trends. Twitter trending topics tells you what a sampling of the world is talking about. You can use these topics as blog posts to increase you traffic. Twitter is a great way to find out what everyone is saying, good and bad, about a certain topic. Use TweetStats information to your advantage.

Pros

• Provides a lot of information with just a few clicks
• Secure and user-friendly
• Doesn’t require your password

Cons

• TweetStats takes a long time to return your data

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Twibs.com is a business directory exclusively for Twitter users and it’s FREE. Twibs focuses on one thing and that is providing a way to search for businesses on Twitter. If you have a business and you tweet, then getting listed in Twibs is a must. Click the “ADD A BUSINESS” link in the top right corner of the Twibs webpage. Fill out the simple form with information about your business. When you click “add my business”, you’ll receive a tweet to confirm your registration. Twibs displays a link for you to view your business profile page. Twitter users can follow you right from your Twibs page in addition to visiting your website, blog, viewing your email address, and your latest tweets.

Once you have added your business to Twibs, you can then log into the site using your Twitter log in information. From your new Twibs page you can manage all aspects of your business profile, tweet, and grab the HTML for a badge to post on your website or blog. This badge has a special purpose. You can promote your Twibs listing, and if you receive enough votes, your profile will appear on the Twibs homepage to be viewed by Twibs users and searchers.

Manage Tags
Inside your Twibs account, click the “manage tags” link to the right. Here you can add two more tags in addition to the four you specified when you registered. Tags are like keywords that bring up your business in the Twib search. Use concise keywords and phrases to optimize your searchability.

Manage Promotion
Click the “manage promotion” link to the right. Here you can type a tweet that is a special promotion which will bring users to your Twib account. This will give users a reason to follow your business and hopefully turn followers into customers.

Manage Products
Click the “manage products” link to the right to make a list of the products and services your business provides to the community. Once you have listed your products, click the “Save Products” button to save the list to your Twib account. You can edit this list anytime by simple clicking “manage products” again.

Manage Links
Click the “manage links” link to the right to list appropriate links for your business. If your business goes by a name different from your Twitter user name, you can put that there as well. You can list your email address, blog address, and a store address. Any link field that is not applicable, just simply leave it blank and it will not appear on your profile.

Manage Locations
Click the “manage locations” link to the right to provide maps to your headquarters or other office spaces. This provides the community with your address for easy access to your business. If you don’t want to list a specific address, then don’t. A simple city and state will suffice. You can also list a contact number or business telephone number. Click “Save This Location” when you are done. The location is saved and will appear on your profile. If your location changes or you add additional locations to your business, don’t worry, you can add all of those changes under “manage locations” too.

TwibsMonitor
TwibsMonitor is a nifty tool that lists the latest search terms being used at Twibs. Use this tool to help you choose your tags/keywords.

Once you have managed all of your profile information, you will notice that a couple more blocks have been added to your profile: a picture block of other Twib businesses that you relate to, a list of your products, and a map of your location. Your profile is now complete and Twib searchers can now find you based on several search criteria.

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Twellow.com is…the Twitter Yellow Pages. It’s a traditional style directory where you can list your Twitter profile for free. Registering at Twellow allows you to create your Twellow profile, add categories, add links, and create your bio. Whether you use your Twitter account for personal or business use, Twellow is a must, to find and be found. Registration is simple. Your account requires your Twitter credentials and your email address. You can opt-in for email updates, have Twellow send a tweet about your registration, or not. Once you register, you are taken directly to the Profile Editor page.

Twellow imports a good amount of information from your Twitter account to save you time creating your profile. You’ll need to check your email and validate your registration. Twellow automatically adds 10 categories for you.You’ll want to edit their choices since they only allow 10, and they are based on information pulled from your Twitter account. They may not be completely accurate. Click the “Create Extended Bio” button to add details to your bio. This opens a 2000 character box where youcan type additional biographical information.

Twellow allows you to add links to your other social media profiles with some 26 choices. Simply type in your user name for the corresponding site and Twellow will create a link to your profile on that site. Click the “Done” button when you are finished.

This completes your Twellow profile. Scroll to the top of the page to grab a button for your website or blog:

Click the “Click to View Your Profile” link to check out your new Twellow profile. Twellow creates a nice profile where users can follow you on Twitter, check out your other social media profiles, read your recent tweets, find a link to your website and read your profile information.

To network using Twellow, click the “Twellowhood” tab at the top of the page. Twellow presents you with a clickable map of the world. You can choose a region all the way down to the city level. Twellow lists the Twitter users in that specific area.

You can find and network with both local and non-local users. Twellow lists any possible category matches it finds to the right of the results. The Twellow tabs have a couple quick tools that allow you to stay on Twellow to view your Friends and Followers by clicking the corresponding tab. In addition, the Suggested Users tab suggests users for you to consider following based on your profile information.

Overall, Twellow is a great Twitter tool and a nicely organized directory. It’s definitely a must for any Twitter user.

Pros

• Huge directory
• Traditional directory layout
• Straightforward

Cons

• Tools are not as simple and concise as other Twitter tools

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Firefox is a popular open source browser and many add-ons for Twitter have been developed to work from within Firefox. These add-ons offer a convenient link to your Twitter account without having to keep Twitter open or download a third party desktop application. If you’re already running add-ons with Firefox, then you already know that add-ons can slow the speed of your browser. You’ll want to keep that in mind before your install additional add-ons.

TwitterSearch is an add-on that adds Twitter to your search engine list. When you type a search term into your search box and choose Twitter search, Firefox returns your results directly from Twitter. TwitterSearch is a quick and easy way to search for topics and people on Twitter.

PowerTwitter is a powerful add-on that adds a lot of functionality to the Twitter web interface. PowerTwitter simply seeks to make Twitter better. It lets users share video and music, share photos, search, find friends and post updates to Facebook all via Twitter.

TwitterFox is an add-on that allows users to post to Twitter as well as receive updates all through a pop up add-on right in your Firefox browser. Twitterfox gives users the count of unread tweets, easy posting of current page links for convenient sharing, supports multiple accounts, and handles all the functions of a standalone Twitter application.

TwittyTunes is a tool for posting multimedia content to Twitter directly from Firefox without having to be on the Twitter website. Post the songs you are currently listening to, videos you are watching and links from websites with one click to Twitter.

TwitJobSearch is a Firefox add-on that helps you search Twitter job listings. Believe it or not, there are thousands of job listings on Twitter. With unemployment currently being at a high, you can never have too many job search options. TwitJobSearch will put you directly in touch with employers that want to hire you.

Tweetlol is a fully featured Twitter client in the form of a Firefox add-on. Tweetlol adds a sidebar to your Firefox window where you can keep up with your tweets while browsing the web without having to click between tabs or program windows.

Kutano is a feature-rich Firefox add-on that allows you to tweet about the websites that you view as well as view what others are tweeting about a specific page. Kutano makes it easy to track what Twitter users are saying about our favorite sites or even your own website or blog.

Tweecious is a Firefox add-on that goes through your tweets and saves the ones with links to your Delicious account. That way you never lose track of your links or the Tweets that contain them.

These Firefox add-ons are among the most popular and feature-rich available for use with Twitter. Try one or try them all, but you’re sure to find at least one that will work for you.

Pros

• No need for standalone clients
• Convenient
• Have features no other Twitter applications possess

Cons

• Slows down Firefox
• Some add-ons encroach on your browser window

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With the popularity of Twitter ever rising, there are literally hundreds of applications and tools that are designed for use with Twitter. There are applications for use on a computer, add-ons for browsers and applications for use with mobile phones all designed to satisfy a large group who are addicted to Twitter.

Benefits
The benefits to using these applications and tools are endless. There are applications that add features to the Twitter experience. The web interface of Twitter has become limited when it comes to these applications that allow users to view and post pictures, music and video with just a few clicks. Users can easily shorten links to allow for longer tweets when posting a link. Applications make searching and using Twitter a more stream-lined task. Most Twitter applications auto update and notify users of unread tweets. The list of features goes on and on. Twitter applications and tools have one purpose, and that is to enhance the experience of using Twitter.

Things to Consider
There are some things to consider when using a Twitter application or tool. Not all third party applications and tools are tested thoroughly or even secure. Most of them require that you sign in using your Twitter log-in information. You might want to think about it before you use just any application, especially those confined to in-page functionality. One reported mishap of using non-secure applications was the publishing of Direct Messages, the Twitter equivalent to a private message, to a user’s public Twitter stream. This could prove quite humiliating depending upon the content of your Direct Messages. Use caution when using third party tools and applications.

How to Find Twitter Tools and Apps
Finding Twitter tools and applications is as simple as performing a Google search; however, you can’t always know if a certain tool is secure. The best way to find reliable secure applications is to look for popular websites that have created lists of top Twitter applications such as Mashable or ReadWriteWeb. In addition, you can search Mozilla.org to find add-ons for Firefox. Many of these add-ons are fully featured applications for using your Twitter account. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can check out Twitdom.com for user submitted applications for Twitter. Twitdom.com is a database of Twitter applications that are created and submitted by Twitter users just like you. You can search Twitdom for applications by category and platform. Keep in mind, these applications may not be tested or secure.

Conclusion
Using Twitter applications and tools will in most cases only make your experience with Twitter better. It’s no secret that Twitter can be used for a myriad of purposes including promoting and marketing your personal web endeavors. Whether you’re just trying to meet new friends or seriously networking to further your business, Twitter is one of the most innovative tools to come around in a long time. Using Twitter applications and tools only enhance your reasons for using Twitter.

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