So, you’ve downloaded and read Twitter is Just a Personality Contest.  You get the lingo, you’ve got in and started playing around.  You linked your blog up to Twitter with Twitterfeed and you’re making some great conversations with your followers.  But you want a shortcut to save you some time, because you’re having a hard time updating Twitter while on the road our out with your paying customers.

Introducing HootSuite

Mari Smith and I actually mentioned Hootsuite last week in our Facebook for Travel and Tourism call.  That’s because this tool actually allows you to update/manage your Twitter profile, Facebook Fan Page, as well as Linked in updates.  Here’s a screenshot of my Hootsuite page (click to make it larger):

I’ve highlighted above some of the reasons why I like Hootsuite so much:

• Fun Name:  Who doesn’t like “Hootsuite?”  Sounds like an Owl hotel.
• Schedule/Monitor everything from one place:  This doesn’t remove the need to actually access Twitter or other sites, but it makes it a lot easier to maintain.
• Easy Stats:  See who has clicked on what.  Very easy to read and use.

Everyone’s different, so I encourage you to check out Hootsuite or other popular Twitter applications, such as Tweetdeck or Seesmic, to see what is best for you.  Or heck – just use the Twitter website, it isn’t as bad as people make it out to be.

An Update on Twitter Lists

Not that long ago, Twitter rolled out new functionality they called “lists.”  It was a new way to segment your followers and people you want to connect with.  The social media pundits claimed it was a revolution in the way we would connect on Twitter and rushed to shout from the rooftops that this would be the change that would rock our world.

I said it was another number that people would obsess over and another layer to the noise.

Now, I’m not one to say “I told you so” but here’s a screenshot from the list of lists that I am on. (play on words unintentional)  You tell me how valuable this kind of stuff is:

I have screenfuls of those list.  Just sayin’.  Ignore the numbers folks – they don’t show the number of relationships nor the brand awareness you’re building!

To Learn More

Be sure to visit our Twitter resources page to find other useful articles and resources to help you maximise your Twitter results.