Dear @Tweetdeck, I love you
I LOOOOVVVVEEEEE me some Tweetdeck. Like love love love love love it. I forget sometimes being so ensconced in this space, that the rest of the world might not really get what my hang ups are. In an effort to get more out of my own head, here are some of the reasons why Tweetdeck works for me.
First off, do you even know what Tweetdeck is? It's a third party app (meaning not created by Twitter) that runs off of twitter's API (application programming interface). Bottom line what it does is take all the awesome bits that you could ever want or need regarding twitter and aggregates them in customizable and easy to use columns; this thing helps you make sense of Twitter. This is what Twitter should have done when it came to the creation of the general platform. Hey, we're not hatin' on ya, but I'm just glad some super nerdy people came up with a better solution.
As stated previously, Tweetdeck is composed of a series of customizable columns. No matter what, you can make this work for you.
Here is what my Tweetdeck looks like today:
Today, I only have 3 columns set up. One is for my entire twitter feed, the other is for my mentions, and the third is a "search" column based on our official hashtag: #nerdsunite
Right now, with this one application, I am able to monitor the conversations that are happening about my brand throughout all of twitter. This monitoring is referred to as "online reputation management." A big fancy saying that answers the question, what are people saying about me in Twitterverse?
To create a tweetdeck column go up to the upper left corner, and you will see a PLUS sign.
Select it.
This will bring up a screen like this:
Remember the "search" column I had for #nerdsunite, all I did was type it in that box, and it created the column for me on the deck.
You can also have a column based on your twitter listings. Here are some of mine. This is great for not missing tweets by members of the community. I have a TNTML staff listing, and dude, it makes my life.
And finally, here are your core listings. This will give you the option to create a column for all of your twitter friends, your @replies, and DMs.
You can also can create as many columns as you'd like, although I'm sure they cut you off somewhere though, I've never needed more than 6.
Tweetdeck is a desktop application, so it stays open all day, and the columns will stay up until you decide to x them out. In the meantime however, all of your tweets will pop up in real time. You never have to hit refresh.
This is how I can stay on top of trends; this is how I know all of the weird shit that I am able to dissect within twitter - Tweetdeck.
Do you run a photography business here in LA, and want to reach out to actors who are maybe looking for headshots? Create a tweetdeck search column for "headshots," or even "actor" - and watch the results appear in real time. Remember, you have to understand the psychology of the end user above all. Very rarely are you going to see a tweet "I want headshots! Photographers contact me!" I'm sure they are there, haha! But the most effective use of the search tool could be to understand what your end user would actually be tweeting out. Actors talk a lot about auditions, so maybe that is another search keyword for you. You'll find what works best for you, these are just some examples.
You can also store and tweet from multiple twitter accounts, and even sync your updates to Facebook. However, if I could offer one suggestion - please for the love of all things holy ...
Do NOT sync your Twitter and Facebook to update at the same time.
This makes me incredibly irate, and I for one will never do it. Social media is about engagement, and opening up the door for a conversation. Syncing updates appears lazy, and from what I have seen first hand, returns fewer comments and likes. For reals, I never ever comment on something friends have posted on Facebook from Twitter. Super lame. Plus too, the conversations are different. I can step outside of 140 characters on Facebook, so the verbiage in my messages are always different. Take the 2 extra seconds and just post them directly. Trust me, it is worth it.
Did I mention that Tweetdeck is entirely free also? Cause it is! Check it out for yourself, and lemme know what you think! Hope this helps!
xoxo #nerdsunite
