What Makes Twitter so Hot?
Oh Twitter how I love thee! Although you might not hear those exact words said very often online, you know it’s true when you login to your Twitter account or visit someone’s blog. With the emergence of WordPress plug-ins like “TwitThis” and the various twitter badges found on numerous blogs throughout the Internet, it is obvious people adore Twitter. Just what is it that makes this social networking site so lovable? Let’s find out.
The question posed by Twitter, “What are you doing?” has become almost as popular as AOL’s “You’ve got mail.” So much so that it has even caught the eye of offline news mediums such as USA Today, CNN, and ABC. This helps to make the application popular all on its own. Those who think Twitter is just a place for computer or Internet geeks can rest assured it’s nothing of the sort.
For many, Twitter is a way to interact with like-minded individuals. Whether one is a stay at home mom who craves adult conversation, an at home worker who misses the water cooler chit-chat from past jobs, or the business owner who wants to reach more of their target market, this form of social media fills a need. It makes it easier for people to connect with others in a way they might not have previously been able to.
The fact Twitter is easily accessible and even simpler to navigate makes it a favorite as well. Anyone can create a twitter account of their own with nothing more than a user name and a password. Once that’s done, it’s easy to customize your profile and begin following other tweeps, as those who use Twitter affectionately call one another. To follow what another person is doing, just visit their page and click the follow button. You’ve now been added as a follower and when you login to your account you will see their messages on your screen.
Want to use Twitter even when you’re not at home or don’t have access to your computer? No problem. Inside your account you can choose whether to have messages sent via cell phone or instant messenger programs as well. Just browse to your settings and choose the devices tab and in a few steps
you’re good to go. This feature makes it possible to tweet on the go. This is perfect for those who travel frequently or while out and about come across something interesting or amusing that they’d like to share with their followers.
Twitter’s arrival has also lead to the creation of different platforms and applications to make it appealing to just about everyone. Popular applications include, Twitter Fox, Twhirl, TweetDeck, and TweetMyBlog. Twitter Fox and Twhirl give users who are prefer the instant messaging look and feel a way to use Twitter in somewhat the same manner. Twitter Fox is an extension for the Firefox browser and Twhirl is a desktop application.
TweetMyBlog is a way to automatically post updates from a user’s blog to Twitter. In order to use it all one needs is a Twitter account and an RSS feed from their blog. It will automatically posts a tweet using your account when your blog is updated.
Tweet Deck is another desktop application that allows for more organization of updates. Instead of posting all a users tweets one right after another, it allows the user to organize tweets into separate columns within the application. For those who have customers and friends on Twitter this is a great feature.
Popular Twitter Plug-ins for WordPress Blogs
WordPress is one of the main choices for a blogging platform on the Internet today. Twitter has quickly become the hottest micro-blogging application. So can you imagine what occurs when the two meet and marry? A partnership that creates a most wonderful thing – that’s what!
Well, maybe not wonderful but then again it all depends on how you look at it. With the proper plug-ins you can create an awesome social networking tool since both Twitter and WordPress are both strong contenders in the social media arena. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular Twitter plug-ins that you can use on your WordPress blog to create a social power house match made in heaven.
TwitThis is a simple way for people to send Twitter messages about your blog post. When visitors to your website click on the TwitThis button or link, it takes the URL of the webpage and creates a shorter URL using the TinyURL tool. Then visitors can send the shortened URL and a description of the web page to all of their friends on Twitter. Talk about word-of-mouth! The TwitThis button is a cute little button that you can add to the end of your blog posts making it readily available to your readers once they’ve finished browsing your post.
TweetMyBlog is a plug-in that will automatically announce your blog posts to your Twitter followers and include a link directly to the post. This plug-in will also include a sidebar widget that will pull in your latest tweets and link them back to your Twitter profile page. Finally the creators of this plug-in have an affiliate program that is available to every “TweetMyBlog” user.
TwitterFeed is a plug-in that allows you to simply promote your blog to your twitter followers. Much like TweetMyBlog, but not as extensive. You can customize the message that will announce your blog post to all your twitter pals. Again, a direct URL is provided in the tweet.
TwitterTools is a plug-in that creates an integration between your WordPress blog and your Twitter account. With TwitterTools you can pull your tweets into your blog and create new tweets on blog posts and also from within WordPress.
TwitterBadge is not so much a plug-in as it is a way for you to let others know that you are a user, maybe even addict – it’s ok we won’t tell, of Twitter. There are many badges from the cute little Twitter bird to the simple badge that basically says, “Hey, look at me. I Twitter too!” When people see your badge and click it, they’ll be taken to your twitter profile.
The bottom line - Twitter is the place to be online, but you may not always be able to be there as much as you would like. By using the above plug-ins you can automate your own WordPress blog and Twitter to create a beautiful traffic generator an a great way to connect with your tweeps.
Using Twitter on Your Cell Phone
Imagine you are in a conference where you just heard one of the most profound quotes and you want to Twitter it. Maybe you’re riding down the road and see the funniest billboards that you know will make your Twitter friends roll with laughter. Oh wait; you don’t have your laptop. You do however have your cell phone. If only there was a way to tweet these and other things when you’re computer wasn’t available. Guess what, there is.
Your cell phone can be a powerful Twitter tool. There are many ways you can use it to benefit not only you, but your followers as well. With your cell phone you can continue to contact your friends and followers and they can tweet you as well. Your cell phone is a communication highway and with Twitter added it becomes a networking wonder.
There are many tools you can use to twitter from your cell phone. Depending on the type of phone you have, you can go mobile in a number of ways. Tools like Jott, Hahlo, Mobile Twitter, Thin Cloud Twitter, Twitter to Go, Twitter SMS, Twitter IM, and Twoble are all available for various cell phones and plans to help you tweet tweet away.
Here are just two of the many cool ways to use any cell phone to harness the power or networking through Twitter:
If your phone has a mobile browser, you can go to www.m.twitter.com and you are good to go. While this is not the best option, it is an option and it works. This is a simple tool that allows you to view Twitter from your cell phone and allows you to tweet back and let people know what you are doing as well.
Flurry is a mobile mail client/service. You can download the Flurry client on your phone seconds after you sign-up. Flurry, which started out as a service that would let you check e-mail on your cell phone has recently added a feature that allows you to add RSS feeds and read them on your mobile phone. In case you did not know, you can set up RSS for all your favorite Twitter users. All you need to do is add RSS feeds generated by the Twitter accounts of your friends. The best part about it is that you don’t have to pay for anything - it’s free. If you want to send messages of your own from your cell phone letting people know what you’re doing, just use the SMS (texting) feature on your phone.
Your cell phone has so many capabilities and so does Twitter. By using the two together you have yet another way to utilize the power of social media. Of course you don’t want to drive and tweet at the same time but you can always pull over to the side of the road and tweet your ideas, thoughts, or updates away.
Setting Up a Twitter Feed on Your Blog
Twitter seems to be a major buzz word and you know what? It should be because it is a good way to reach your audience and gain a whole new audience. You can use your blog to garner the power of Twitter for more traffic, sales, and valued relationships.
We already know when blogs are optimized correctly they are great for bringing in traffic and generating sales. That is why you need to hook up with Twitter. While Twitter is not a full fledge blog, it is a micro-blogging tool that allows you to instantly let people know what it is that you are doing.
You can set up your blog with a simple feed that will help you optimize and create the results you want to get from both your blog and Twitter. Considering the many ways that you can feed your blog to Twitter, you can talk to people all over the world in a way that you never could before.
There is a simple little tool called Twitter Feed that you can set up on your blog. This tool will integrate Twitter and your blog allowing you to create an automation tool that will give your blog even more legs and bring in traffic. All without any extra steps needed by you once the initial installation is complete.
Setting up your Twitter Feed is not a long or hard process. You can literally do it in 5 minutes or less. Here are the simple steps to getting started.
- If you do not have a Twitter account, you need to set one up. This will allow you to broadcast your blog RSS feed.
- Once have set up your twitter account, go to the Twitter Feed site and login using an OpenID.
- Once your account is all set up you can then integrate your blog with your twitter profile by adding your blog’s RSS feed. You can do this for as many blogs as you like.
- Be sure to set up the time intervals in a way that doesn’t post too many at once and get you banned from Twitter for spamming.
- Once you are done whenever you post to the blogs you have in your Twitter Feed, the URL and post announcement will go out to all your Twitter buds.
Twitter Feed is a great tool, but try not to abuse it or your followers. Your readers and followers want to read your content and using Twitter Feed will help you get it out. Just be sure to feed it in the right way.
Why Twitter Can't Replace a Blog
Micro-blogging is a good thing and using Twitter makes it even better.
However, Twitter will never take the place of a blog. The bottom line is that Twitter is not a full fledge blog. It is simply a way for you to get your words out to the masses in a more expedient manner. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons Twitter will never replace a blog.
The number one reason why Twitter can never replace a blog is because you can only post up to 140 characters at any one time. There is just no way to squeeze 1,000 words into such a small space. Not to mention, trying to send 7.14 tweets back to back, will not go over well with your followers. There is nothing like a person who tweets excessively. Doing so will cause you to lose followers and your goal with Twitter is to gain a friends not turn people away. You want Twitter to be tool that leads to your platform – your blog – the place where you share your story, product, or business.
Another reason why you can never replace your blog with simple tweets is because you just don’t have the same control to customize. Sure you can create a profile that says something about you but not the way you can with your blog. With a blog you can customize the whole kit and caboodle. You can add tools, plug-ins, and even more networking opportunities through your blog. You can’t do all that with Twitter.
Then we have the website name issue. You can’t attach a domain to twitter. On twitter you will always be www.twitter.com/whateveryournameis and that is it. Your username or extension is how people will recognize you on Twitter, but it’s not the same as a domain name for an entire website. In essence, Twitter owns your profile, not you. But your domain name – now that is all yours.
If you are an affiliate marketer, you want to talk about what you are promoting and, as was stated earlier, you only have 140 characters to say what you really want to say. That is not as effective as a blog post or blog series that can send the message more effectively. That’s juust one more reason Twitter can never replace a blog.
Don’t try to replace your own blog or website with twittering. Instead, learn to use Twitter as an effective tool that makes people want to learn more about you. Your blog is where you get down to the nitty-gritty and allow people to become more knowledgeable about your life, your product, service or whatever it is you are promoting.
Written by: Rob Richards and Robin Araoz.
