I love bloggers and social media folk who aren’t on twitter.
It’s like if Kanye was all, Imma release my new album…on those teeny tiny Pocket Rocker tapes.
Which, honestly, is just the kind of thing Kanye would do, thank God I saved mine.
So you don’t get twitter? Awesome. Neither does my grandpa.
But, he also isn’t a blogger, social media professional, or really, any other person who has any desire to function in modern day society.
Twitter has been front and center for most of the largest global events in modern day history.
The earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
The Egyptian uprising.
The Hudson River plane crash.
Osama bin Laden’s death.
Hugh Hefner being left at the alter.
The break-up announcement of whoever Taylor Swift dates next.
Twitter is how people are communicating and businesses are thriving. You should be on it.
Unless you are my grandpa…who thinks the internet – like global warming, homosexuals and centaurs – is a myth.
TAKE THAT HUNGRY POLAR BEARS.
Signing up for twitter is easy, just click here and make an account.
I suggest you do it now to ensure the closest variation of your name is still available on account of the fact that EVERYONE GOT THE INTERNET BEFORE YOU, FRANCIS.
Now, on to what this post is really about, Tweetdeck.
Tip: Don’t argue with me about twitter clients. I tried Hootsuite. It’s dumb.
Sure, you can have sex with a well endowed midget with anhidrosis in the middle of a desert, but wouldn’t it be easier if you used some lube?
That’s what Tweetdeck is. It’s lube for twitter.
And everything is easier with lube.
This is what running twitter through your browse looks like, and if you insist on doing it this way, that’s fine, I never ever mock anyone out loud.
It’s pretty self explanatory, but if you have questions, click here for a great tutorial.
Now, this is what twitter looks like using Tweetdeck.
I know, I just came also. We’ll always have this moment together, you know.
Now, let’s go over some basic Tweetdeck pros:
- It’s free!
- Makes running multiple twitter accounts crazy easy
- Also allows you to add your Facebook, LinkedIn and Foursquare accounts
- Let’s you make columns to group your followers
- It automatically shortens the urls you tweet
- It allows you to schedule your tweets ahead of time
First, click here to download Tweetdeck to your computer.
Tip: You can also download the app for your smart phone, which syncs with your desktop account, making your life way easier.
Install Tweetdeck and make your account, add your twitter account.
Next let’s break down the basics of what we are looking at here.
As you can see, there’s a lot going on here, but I’m just going to walk you through the basics, you will realize it’s a breeze, and you’ll never be able to use regular twitter without rolling your eyes again.
Tip: Just move your mouse over the buttons to find out what they do!
1. Compose Update: You click that. To compose an update.
2. Add a Column: Want to follow a particular Hash tag or group of people? Awesome, just click this and input what new column you want.
Tip: For example, I have a column to track the mentions of all of my accounts linked to Tweetdeck, and I also have a column labeled “Besties,” where I grouped all the people on twitter I interact with the most. It lets me more easily follow them and not get lost in the sea of my main twitter stream.
Tip: When it comes to adding columns, the Core tab deals with the usual suspects like Mentions, Direct Messages, Favorites, etc.
3. Quick Profile: Click this to type in someone’s twitter handle and look up their profile.
4. Refresh: Refreshes all your columns, I KNOW THIS IS INSANE.
5. Settings: This pulls up all the important tabs to customize your Tweetdeck experience. (Notifications, themes and colors, adding and removing accounts, etc.)
Click to enlarge and check out my settings!
I encourage you to go through all the tabs and customize all your options. You really can’t mess anything up here. Promise.
Tabs of note:
Click to enlarge and check out my settings!
The Notifications tab controls all the annoying little pop up alerts and noises. Nip that shit in the bud. (Detail OFF, Summary OFF, Notification Sound 0%)
Click to enlarge and check out my settings!
The Accounts tab lets you easily add as many twitter accounts as you want.
Tip: I run my Barefoot Foodie (set as my default account, since that’s what I tweet from the most), Curvy Girl Guide and Mouth Media twitter accounts all on Tweetdeck, tweeting by them is as easy as clicking the corresponding avatar on the upper left of your tweet composition box. No more logging in and logging out and logging in again. Put the xanax down, this shit is straight handled.
The best part about Tweetdeck is that once you grasp the basics, it’s easy to just learn as you go by clicking around and scrolling over buttons to discover all the functions.
In conclusion, here are my completely subjective tips for how to use twitter in the most beneficial and least annoying fashion.
- Bloggers: Tweet your posts twice a day…max. We get it, you wrote something prolific. We’re really proud of you. I mean, I get about 70 percent of my social media traffic from Twitter, so I understand the importance of self promotion. But aside from your shameless whore mongering, do you have anything else of value to add to the conversation? No? Alrighty, I am going to unfollow you, because if I wanted to have a commercial dangled in front of eyes every four seconds, I’d go down on the Shamwow guy.
- Businesses: Same thing. You have got to interact with people on a personal, non-robot like level. Twitter gives you the chance to make a real connection with your consumer base, so don’t piss them off.
- Stop the constant whining about businesses, hotels, airlines, NOT EVERYONE IS OUT TO GET YOU. Shit happens sometimes, but when all you do is cry foul, you lose followers and brands don’t want to take a risk working with you. I hate to go all Spider-man here, but with great power comes great responsibility…even if that great power is something you have totally concocted in your head. I’m not sure where this sense of constant entitlement comes from (I blame the MTV), but we all took a vote and we hate you.
- Auto-Tweet services are great, the second your post goes live, a tweet gets sent out. Dlvr.it is a super easy service for that! But, also consider that instead of auto-tweeting your content all Terminator like, doing it yourself, and adding a witty intro to lure people to click the link is way more effective.
- Never Auto DM the people who follow you. There is absolutely no exception to this rule. No matter how tempted you are to start auto dm’ing new followers all, Wait, did we have sex in 1998? OMG Does this baby look like you?!
- Cryptic tweets are annoying. And the word annoying isn’t the same as the word intrigued. In case you were confused just then.
- Share what you love. Want to build a great base of followers? Show them that you are an interesting person to follow by tweeting articles you love, hilarious sites, and cool new finds.
- I don’t care that you are Mayor of Arby’s. I don’t even know who the mayor of the town I live in is. In fact, I barely vote, or leave the house. You can select to not tweet your Foursquare check-ins, I would recommend doing that.
- Brand yourself. If there was ever an easy way to build your brand, it’s this. Use the same avatar consistently across all forms of social media. Help people recognize and find you.
Twitter is a great way to interact and share information and news with millions of people around the world, and it’s an absolute must for anyone who is actively trying to monetize their brand online.
Look at Ashton Kutcher. He was just a regular guy on twitter, and before you know it, he’s replacing movie actor Charlie Sheen on that show with the awkward chubby kid and Ducky from Pretty in Pink.
What will Al Gore think of next!?
Got tips? Share them! Got questions? Ask them! Wanna follow me on twitter? Click here!
I love this series, informative yet not all tech-jargon, plus freakin funny to boot!
Although can I add one slight issue I have, its such a small things but it really bugs me.
Links; I have noticed I cant right click on your blog, which is usually fine.
However, when I want to click the links to tweetdeck or the great links on your Lazy Sunday series etc… So I can see what its all about while reading, it doesn’t open in a new tab or window, so I have to click back and forth.
On other sites I always just right click and open in new tab, but here I cant.
Love your blog though, and looking forward to more fantastic posts. xxx
This is an issue for me sometimes too. I like to have like a zillion tabs open all at once so I can open tons of things to look through whenever the baby lets me, but usually what happens here, is that I click the link, read the article and forget to go back to read the rest of the blog or click the other links!
My site is right click disabled thanks to my content being repeatedly stolen. I am always on the look out for a more user friendly plug-in to protect content, but I have yet to come across one:(
I apologize it’s such a pain in the ass, and I promise I am actively looking to remedy the situation, and will try to enable off site links to open in a new window from now on:)
If you have an old-school scrolly mouse, you can just click on the center wheel thingamabob when you hover over the link, and it’ll open in a new tab. I realize that isn’t helpful at all to those using laptops unless you also have a mouse, but thought I’d mention it anyway.
Bet ya couldn’t tell that I really need these helpful techno jargon posts, could ya?
I had the same problem when I finally remembered to just hold the ctrl button then left-click. It opens the link in a new tab. I hope this helps.
I was using TweetDeck for a while and then it started being a total dick and wasn’t working. I guess I better go back and try again. Hopefully it won’t be such a jerk to me this time.
I cannot believe you use white text on a black background on tweetdeck.
It’s like I don’t even know who you are anymore….
Normally, the white text on black background makes me all pencil-to-eyeball-stabby, too, but my Tweetdeck looks just like B’s. It just works better that way.
Normally, the white text on black background makes me all pencil-to-eyeball-stabby, too, but I’m with B on using it for Tweetdeck. It just works.
*Sidenote: I submitted this comment right before now, but your blog ate it, Britt. Jerk.
I don’t like the racial undertones of this comment.
tweetdeck is racist.
Triple ditto on the using Twitter to complain bullet point. I hate when people feel the need to publicly bash any company they ever have a bad experience with on a regular basis. If you have this many problems perhaps it is you, not them.
Side note: does your grandpa believe in dinosaurs? Let me know.
I take no issue with people looking to social media to have a conversation with a brand and then vent frustration when other avenues are exhausted, but REALLY?
I’m one of those people who use Twitter to complain (aka hopefully get someone at the HQ to notice and remedy the situation). But clearly, I am small potatoes. They see my tweet and say, “When you get over a thousand page views a month, then maybe we’ll talk. Maybe.” Then I take my ball and go home.
On the upside I can honestly tell my husband that I’ve tried everything I can so now I can purchase a new item with a clean conscience.
This just *might* help me cross over. I have been on Twitter for years and still use the regular twitter homepage. I actually had “old twitter” until a couple days ago I saw they made good on their threats and switched me to new. It’s just, Tweetdeck is so jumbly! And makes me numb and want to take a nap. Please don’t make fun of me.
Steph
We don’t make fun of you. We just feel sorry for your antiquated use of Twitter and its black magic.
Welcome to the World of Tweetdeck!
I think it took me a solid week to fall in love with Tweetdeck, and now just the ease and functionality of it makes me dislike regular twitter.
steph. me TOO. the new twitter is making my head spin. i’m pretty sure i would go into a coma with tweet deck.
–>I love The Twitter. The end.
@DebThaxton
I don’t use Tweetdeck at work because regular Twitter is easier to hide if my boss walks in the room.
I hang my head in shame, but I am still using regular old twitter. I didn’t even know about tweetdeck. I think I fail at the interwebs in general.
Also, I love that my hairless batman tweet is captured in that fourth screenshot beneath Martha Stewart.
I just learned about this secret underworld of Twitter conversations. It’s like I was the Helen Keller of Twitter, and now I know the sign for “water.”
Holy mother of all that is greek and overwhelming.
Huh?
Twitter. Right, got it. Now I have to do Tweetdeck? Oy vey……
I like tweetdeck & I am a white text on black background sort, though I do with nothing else. My problem is it seems like every time I open tweetdeck Adobe Air wants to update the software and I am so over it.
(delurking) No need to down on the Shamwow guy, Shamwow is now available at Target! :-)
[streaking through Brit’s post]
Team Hootsuite!
Christ. I tried this shit. It makes my brain explode. I will try it again, though, because you said so. I’m not that cool, though; I only have 1 twitter account, so the need to manage several is nonexistent. Perhaps if I made time to get on the old twat box more than a couple times a week, it’d be worth it. I’m thinking I should cut out child-rearing…
I wish there was a LIKE button for this comment. This is me. I’m a Uni-Tweeter. Just one account, thank you. I already have two facebook accounts and neglect one of them. It’s bad enough I’m already neglecting my children, I don’t need to feel bad about neglecting a twitter account too!
I too am a full on Tweetdeck convert. It’s so…so…easy. Even if you just use it for one account, it lets you follow lists and hashtags and everything so much easier than regular twitter. (and don’t get me started on Hootsuite).
My ONLY complaint? it’s really hard to search for stuff that isn’t a person. Which can be annoying for me. But minor really, compared to the rest.
EVERYONE GOT THE INTERNET BEFORE YOU, FRANCIS.
i die.
<3
I want to be cool, I really do, but my brain feels like it might melt. I actually had to google auto DM.
I have been using Tweetdeck on my Android for almost a year now … and I had no idea there was a desktop version! Thanks for this post … this is going to completely change my social media experience :)
I think the most important part of this post was, and I’m paraphrasing, “No One Cares What You Are The Mayor Of. Turn Off The Foursquare Tweets!!!”. And auto DMs should be illegal. Great info on tweetdeck, thanks!! :)
Ok, you’ve convinced me. Is there any way to have one column for all of my @mentions? Right now I’ve got 4 @mention columns for my 4 twitter accounts.
My only problem with Tweetdeck is that I can’t figure out how to see older tweets. I scroll to the bottom, I run out of new tweets to read, but I know there are more older tweets that I haven’t got to yet. How do I make it load more posts? It doesn’t seem to be an option.
Tweetdeck is like crack for me. I can’t stop. I have my own personal Facebook and Twitter, 3 separate work Facebook and Twitter accounts, and Tweet is like the nanny that keeps them all in line. And also tells me whenever talking about us out there in the world. Best tool ever!