I was fortunate enough* to receive an advance copy of Shel Israel’s – Twitterville recently. The premise of the book is an examination of how businesses (of all sizes) can thrive in the digital space with the micro-blogging tool – Twitter. This is Shel’s second outing as an author, after co-authoring the highly successful book, Naked Conversations with Robert Scoble. After completing the book, I felt strongly that Twitterville was the spiritual successor to Naked Conversations.
If you are looking for a book about how to use Twitter, then unfortunately Twitterville is not designed for you. In my opinion, this is a key strength and helps to separate it from the many other Twitter books already available. Shel’s book contains a number of case studies on how individuals and companies have used Twitter to extend their reach out to lots of people, unlike any tool that they have probably used before.
The case studies featured within the book describe, how both large and small businesses have successfully used Twitter to connect to wider audiences, and the interesting results that they have achieved. Companies such as Dell, Comcast, Evernote, Starbucks and Zappos are all featured among others. Shel does a great job of sharing the insights that each company has learned during their own Twitter experiences. The chapters make great reading and contain a good blend of content versus size. Shel interviewed many people for the book, and I’m surprised at how he managed to keep the book’s size so relatively small!
My only criticism of the book is that Shel often presents an overtly positive Twitter story, while passing over some of the negative aspects of the service. For every positive contribution, there are hundreds of examples of random chatter or shameless promotion. However, Shel does present a chapter that does detail the effect spammers. Therefore, at times the book can appear to be a little one sided. Putting this point aside, if you are looking for a good business book, and are interested in how social media can be applied within a practical commercial setting. I would highly recommend that you buy Twitterville. The book is sure to become a great classic.
My good friend, Steve Clayton sums up the book with a great quote, which you can find on the back cover.
I couldn’t have put it better myself!
Twitterville is available to order from Amazon here.
Twitter has launched a new site dedicated to helping businesses to become au fait with the microblogging service. Twitter 101 A Special Guide is a great online resource that I would highly recommend to anyone looking to use Twitter as part of their social media mix.
Razorfish just released a report entitled, “Fluent: The Razorfish Social Influence Marketing Report”. It examines how social media influences purchase decisions, how social features are entering online advertising, and how social media is becoming a paid distribution mechanism. The implications for marketers and entrepreneurs are:
Brands must socialise with their customers because “top-down” advertising isn’t going to work.
Brand must develop a credible voice along the parameters of engagement, humility, and authenticity.
Brands must make their social relationships more symmetrical—that is, with value for both the brand and the customer.
The report also includes this gem of a list of how brands should use Twitter:
Become familiar with Twitter by reviewing, or following, the activities of successful brands such as Dell (dell.com/twitter), Zappos (twitter.com/zappos) and Comcast (twitter.com/comcastcares).
Listen to what is already being said on Twitter about your brand.
Identify initial objectives for using Twitter, including what would qualify as a Twitter success story for your brand.
Look into competitive activities and potential legal considerations, especially if there is already a Twitter account that uses your brand’s name or other intellectual property associated with it.
Use the findings to decide on the appropriate opportunity such as offers or community building, tone of voice and method of engagement—that may be right for your brand.
Since Twitter is an ongoing activity—even if your company is only listening in—dedicate a resource to monitor the conversations and competitors.
Map out a plan for the content you will share, including valuable initial content to pique user interest.
Integrate your Twitter account throughout your marketing experience, by embedding it as a feed on the company Web site, including its URL in communications and so forth.
Maintain momentum by following everyone who follows you, responding to queries and joining in conversations without being too marketing oriented.
Provide ongoing direct value through your tweets by continuing to listen, learn and fine- tune your Twitter activities.
All in all, a valuable read. Click here to download the report, or read it below.
Over the past few months, Twitter has experienced explosive growth, attracting celebrity users such as Oprah, and a growing mountain of media and blog coverage. However, many new users are falling foul of Twitter etiquette. In many cases, unfiltered tweeting could be dangerous to your Twitter health – you could end up losing your followers fast!
Thou shalt not use DM autoresponders. More often than not, DM autoresponders are used poorly. Unless you have a good reason to use them and know what you’re doing, consider avoiding them altogether.
Thou shalt not beg for retweets. If your content is good, other Twitter users will retweet it. Asking "pls RT" makes you look desperate.
Thou shalt not autotweet. Unless your followers followed you to get automatic updates (eg. they know your account is tied to a content feed), autotweeting is usually a bad idea.
Thou shalt not tweet in bunches. You know the guy who always sends out a couple dozen tweets in rapid-fire succession? Don’t be that guy. Sending lots of tweets in a short period of time is just downright annoying.
Thou shalt not take your followers on a trip to hashtag hell. Hashtags can be extremely useful but they’re frequently abused by spammers, marketers and applications. So choose which ones you use wisely. Hint: hashtags relating to body parts, private matters, illegal activities and words you wouldn’t use in the presence of your grandparents are usually the ones to avoid.
Thou shalt not sex up your avatar. Everyone loves a pretty face but when it comes to your Twitter avatar, make sure that pretty face is your own. Using a photo of a beautiful woman or a studly man to attract attention is suitable only for the lowliest of spammers. And don’t forget to keep your clothes on; your rock-hard abs may be worthy of exhibition on the beach but you probably don’t need to show them off in Twitter’s public timeline.
Thou shalt not oversell. This is ‘social‘ media. Just as nobody likes the person who is constantly selling vaccuum cleaners at the cocktail party on Friday, nobody likes the person who is selling via tweet 24×7. So even if you’re using Twitter for business purposes, don’t go overboard with the pitches; providing value with your tweets will do more for your selling efforts than 140 characters of hard pitch.
Thou shalt not overfollow or autofollow. If you have 500 followers but are following 5,000 people, something is wrong. Some people have sophisticated beliefs regarding follower ratios; I don’t. But common sense is in order: there are plenty of reasons not to follow other users and you should only follow people who you find interesting. As it relates to autofollowing, if I told you I was jumping off a cliff, would you follow me over the edge? Hopefully not. Consider applying the same logic when it comes to who you follow on Twitter.
Thou shalt not sell out. Tweeting a message for a company for a chance to win a free laptop may be a good deal for the company but you’d probably ask for more if you were selling your soul and not your Twitter account. Even so, by tweeting marketing messages for compensation (or a chance at compensation), you send the message that you’re easily bought and sold. That’s probably not a message you want to send.
Thou shalt not tweet before thinking. You are what you tweet. So think twice before saying something dumb. From retweeting a fake news story to crudely voicing a opinion that makes you look like a jerk, there are plenty of ways you can put your foot in your mouth in 140 characters. So keep your shoes on and your feet on the ground by thinking before you hit ‘update‘.
As Steve mentions on his blog, Microsoft’s Mel Carson was lucky enough to interview Twitter co-founder Biz Stone in Cannes last week. Mel does a great job on the interview. Watch the video above to learn:
What is Biz’s favourite Twitter app?
How many registered apps use the Twitter API?
Why is Biz Stone in Cannes with lots of advertising people?
If you have used Twitter search before, you may notice that you can only go back a certain amount of time and/or number of tweets for a given search. In fact, if you read the Twitter search documentation, you’ll note that the folks from Twitter say, "We also restrict the size of the search index by placing a date limit on the updates we allow you to search. This limit is currently around a month but is dynamic and subject to shrink as the number of tweets per day continues to grow."
Thus was born The Archivist, a Windows application that runs on your local system and allows you to archive tweets for later data-mining and analysis for a given search. The Archivist allows you to start a search and will get as many results as it can on the initial search. If you leave The Archivist open, it will update with the latest results every 10 minutes. You can also close The Archivist and open it later. The Archivist will save the tweets and get all the tweets it can since that search.
The Archivist will display a chart that shows the number of tweets per day for a given search, so that you can quickly assess traffic for a given search. For more comprehensive data analysis, The Archivist lets you export Tweets to Excel. It also natively saves tweets in an XML format, which could also be parsed for deeper data analysis.
I have been working on a Top 100 Twitter Tools list for some time. However, I found this great list from Online Best Colleges. The list should serve as a great resource for Twitter users looking to extend this experience.
Twitter Analysis
If your goal is to be popular and influential on Twitter, be sure to check out these tools that will tell you how you’re doing.
Twitter Grader: Learn your Twitter grade, your local Twitter Elite, and find new people to follow through Twitter Grader.
Twitterholic: Check out the top Twitter users and find out your Twitter stats on Twitterholic.
TweetStats: TweetStats offers a graphical analysis of your Twitter stats.
Twitter Friends: Carefully measure your Twitter conversations using Twitter Friends.
Twinfluence: Twinfluence will measure your Twitter influence based on reach, velocity, and social capital.
Tweetwasters: Find out how much time you and other users waste on Twitter.
Tweet-Rank: Learn about the quality of your tweets by finding out which ones won or lost followers.
Mr. Milestone: Get a tweet when you reach various milestones using this Twitter tool.
Retweetrank: Find out how many retweets you and other Twitter users have through this service.
Information Gathering
With these tools, you and gather information for market research, blog posts, and your own simple curiosity.
Tweetbeep: With Tweetbeep, you can set up alerts that will help you keep track of keywords on Twitter.
@myflightinfo: Use @myflightinfo to stay updated on your flight’s status.
Twitterverse: Check out archived timelines and tweets through Twitterverse.
Twitscoop: Twitscoop shares what’s hot on Twitter at any given moment.
Twitbuzz: Twitbuzz tracks the latest conversations as well as popular Twitter links.
StrawPoll: Use StrawPoll to make sharing your opinion as easy as sending an @reply.
Retweetist: This service ranks the hottest links being retweeted on Twitter.
Monitter: Get real time keyword monitoring on Twitter from Monitter.
TweetNews: TweetNews ranks stories based on the amount of related tweets.
TwitterBuzz: TwitterBuzz will tell you what’s being linked to the most on Twitter.
Tweetscan: Set up Tweetscan to make sure you don’t miss any @replies, and to get alerted of your search queries.
Network Building & Management
Find more relevant Twitter users with the help of these tools.
Twitter Local: With this service, you can see tweets from Twitter users in a specific location.
Twubble: Twubble will expand your Twitter bubble, picking out people you may like to follow.
MyCleenr: Sort your friends by their last tweets, and you can get rid of the inactive and useless accounts you’re following.
Follow Cost: This tool will tell you how much effort it takes to follow someone.
Tweepler: Use Tweepler to organize your tweeps based on whether you’re following them or not.
Just Tweet It: Find Tweeple, tools, Twitter bots and more through this directory.
TweetWheel: TweetWheel will help you discover which of your Twitter friends know each other.
SocialToo: SocialToo will help you keep track of all of the people who have followed or unfollowed you.
Twitoria: Reduce your clutter on Twitter by finding your friends that haven’t tweeted in a long time.
TwitDir: With TwitDir, you’ll be able to search for people, and exploring categories including top followers and updaters.
Who Should I Follow?: Using this site, you can get good recommendations for Tweeps to follow.
Nearbytweets: Learn about all of the Twitter users in a specific area with the help of Nearbytweets.
Twellow: Find Twitter users in a specific industry using this service.
Mr. Tweet: Mr. Tweet is a personal networking assistant for Twitter, helping you find relevant followers.
Qwitter: Qwitter will help you manage your network by sending an alert when a person unfollows you.
Twitter Management
Save your time and cull your Twitter list with the help of these tools.
Twitter Search: Retrieve information on Twitter quickly to search Twitter in real time.
Tweet O’Clock: Trying to reach someone? Tweet O’Clock will help you find the best time to get their attention.
Just Signal: Set up a filter using Just Signal to get only the tweets that discuss the keywords you’d like to read about.
TweepSearch: Put your Twitter network to good use and search your followers for specific parameters.
Friend or Follow: Manage your Twitter contacts and find out who’s not following you back through Friend or Follow.
TwitResponse: TwitResponse makes it easy for you to schedule the delivery of your tweets ahead of time.
TwitterSnooze: Put the pause button on a particular user for a while with Twitter Snooze.
Twitterless: Get notified when someone stops following you with Twitterless.
Twilert: Track specific keywords to receive alerts for using Twilert.
Tweetdeck: Tweetdeck has a groups function that will help you more efficiently follow the people you really want to listen to.
Twalala: Put the mute button on certain people and topics for a while if you are receiving lots of updates you’re not really interested in.
Sharing Tools
Promote your business, share photos, and more using these Twitter tools.
Tweetburner: Use Tweetburner to share links, and you can track their usage.
Twitpic: Twitpic makes it easy to take mobile phone photos and share them using your Twitter account.
TwitterHawk: Get targeted marketing on Twitter through TwitterHawk.
Acamin: Acamin makes it easy to share files on Twitter with your followers.
Glue: Post links to books, movies, restaurants and more on Twitter through Glue.
Ping.fm: This service will update all of your social networks at once.
TweeTube: TweeTube makes it easy to share videos on Twitter.
twiggit: Use this automated service to share the articles you digg on Twitter.
Twisten.fm: Share what you’re listening to on Twitter through Twisten.fm.
Organisation & Productivity
These Twitter tools will make your life a bit more streamlined.
Twittercal: Link your Twitter account and Google Calendar to easily keep up with your events and appointments.
Timer: Use Timer to get reminders about tasks through your Twitter account.
TwitterNotes: Organize your notes using Twitter with TwitterNotes.
Remember the Milk: Use Remember the Milk on Twitter to update your to do list.
Tweetake: Tweetake will back up your Twitter timeline for archiving and more.
Nozbe: Nozbe makes it easy to add and update your to do list on Twitter.
Toodledo: This popular to do list app integrates nicely with Twitter.
TrackThis: Send TrackThis your tracking number, and you’ll get Twitter messages every time there’s a change in location.
Joint Contact: Get project management productivity on Twitter using Joint Contact.
Tempo: This time tracking tool allows you to send in updates from Twitter.
Tweet Later: Tweet Later offers a great way to set up alerts, schedule tweets, send thank you DMs, and more.
OutTwit: OutTwit will make it easy for you to use Twitter inside of Outlook.
Jott: Jott makes it easy for you to tweet without ever having to type, transcribing your voice message to Twitter.
Life Tools
With these tools, you can work on relationships, life tracking, and more.
MyMileMarker: Keep track of your mileage with info sent via Twitter every time you fill up.
21Tweets: 21Tweets offers personal coaching on Twitter.
TwtTRIP: Organize your travel plans and find other Twitter travelers on your way with TwtTRIP.
Tweet Answers: Twitter Answers makes it easy to ask questions and get answers on Twitter.
Twtvite: Twtvite is a simple event organizer that will help you create a tweetup.
Vacatweet: Set up an autoresponder for your Twitter account with Vacatweet.
plusplusbot: Share when someone goes out of their way to help you, or otherwise make your feelings known using plusplusbot.
TrackDailyGoals: Use this site and the #dailygoals hashtag to keep track of your goals every day.
ConnectTweet: Put the voices of your group or business together through ConnectTweet.
Tweeteorology: Find tweets about the weather in any location through Tweeteorology.
DreamTweet: Keep a reminder of your dreams and nightmares, and follow the dreams of others through DreamTweet.
Business & Finance
Use these tools to improve your business and finances through Twitter.
Chipin: If you’re raising funds on Twitter, make use of Chipin to set a goal and let your supporters track the progress of the campaign.
Xpenser: You can Twitter your expenses to Xpenser and they will be recorded for you.
Twittertise: Schedule your tweets and track their clickthroughs with this app designed for Twitter advertising.
TwtQpon: Create simple Twitter coupons for your business with TwtQpon.
CheapTweet: Get all of the deals, sales, coupons and more being discussed on Twitter through CheapTweet.
Tipjoy: Like Chipin, Tipjoy offers a way to create social payments for your cause, content, or people.
SalesTwit: Get contact management for Twitter with the help of SalesTwit.
Tweet What You Spend: Track your cash in a really effective way using Tweet What You Spend.
StockTwits: StockTwits shares the investment discussions on Twitter in real time.
Health
Track your health using these Twitter tools.
Qwitter: Update Qwitter to shame yourself into quitting smoking.
TweetPlot: Use TweetPlot to chart your food and fitness statistics.
Tweetwhatyoueat: Keep a food diary to track what you’re eating every day using Tweetwhatyoueat.
gtFtr: Use the gtFtr tool to record your exercise activity on Twittr.
SugarStats: Track, monitor, and share your blood sugar through Twitter with SugarStats.
FoodFeed: This Twitter-based food log makes it easy for you to track what you’re eating.
Blogging
Bring your blog life and Twitter life together with these tools.
Add to Any: Get your posts shared on Twitter by using Add to Any on your WordPress blog.
TwitThis: Make use of this plugin to send Twitter messages about your blog post.
MyTwitter: Use the MyTwitter plugin to display your Twitter status on WordPress.
Twitpress: Twitpress will send out a Tweet every time you post a new blog entry.
TwitterCounter: With this plugin, you can display the number of followers you have on Twitter.
TwitterFeed: Announce your blog post on Twitter with a customized message using TwitterFeed.
My name is Jas Dhaliwal and I'm a Geek Marketer. This blog explores how social media technologies are disrupting traditional business models. I help people connect with new audiences by leveraging the power of the web. I hope you enjoy reading this blog, don't be shy add a comment!
