As 2010 wraps up and we get ready to head into another year full of unknown yet hopefully exciting adventures I thought I would take the opportunity to reflect back on my social networking learning curve of 2009. At the beginning of the year, I started keeping a tally of all the Twitter apps that were available to help manage the sometimes overwhelming demands of the Twittersphere. We’re still not sure if it’s going to be worthwhile in the long run but if you’re not Tweeting you’re missing the boat…maybe. I keep trying to find the best measurement tool and tracking metrics and voraciously read about other people’s and companies’ experiences. It really depends on what you’re hoping to accomplish but there’s rarely any time to step back and take a breath.
Anyways, I also wrote a couple articles and blogs about different apps I had found and was using but then as they kept coming at me thick and fast and I would find ones that were better or as I used a particular app more I realized its shortcomings and started searching for the ever-elusive all-in-one answer (i.e. Tweetdeck vs. Socialoomph – started with Socialoomph but now I use Tweetdeck more regularly). Of course, we’re all looking for the freebees too (especially for us solo-preneurs and small business owners). I stopped writing about any particular app for a while because I thought people might think I was wishy-washy or schizophrenic. Now I realize it’s the race-to-create-the-best-app syndrome that’s actually the problem. Developers have to rush to get theirs out because there’s bound to be 100 more just like it ready to compete. First out is typically most used (generally speaking).
So, my New Year’s resolutions (that I promise to keep) are to: keep Tweeting, keep following, keep reading, keep testing, keep measuring and keep writing about my experiences (because we all learn from each other).
Here’s a short-list of the apps I’ve gathered in 2010 (some I’ve tried and some I haven’t had a chance to yet), in alphabetical order because I couldn’t think of an easier way to categorize them. Just pick one and give it a whirl!!!
Addictomatic – create your own tracking page with the latest on your chosen topics
Followerhub - find friends and followers
FriendFeed – customized feed of your friends and collaborators
FutureTweets – schedule Tweets
hashtags.org – search top hashtags (to have your hashtag tracked you must follow)
Justunfollow
Klout – identify influencers on Twitter
LaterBro – schedule Tweets
Manageflitter – a quick and easy unfollow tool
Mashable – the latest and greatest news and tips on social media (more a great resource than an app)
Monitter - target specific geographic areas for searches
MrTweet - recommend someone
MyTweetSpace – for fresh backgrounds or Twitbacks
Pu.ly – notifies you by email when you have an @reply or mention
Search.twitter - real time search for subjects being tweeted about
Seesmic – manage multiple Twitter accounts and Facebook feeds
SocialOomph – social media management tool
Twaitter – manage multiple accounts, archive, back-up and schedule Tweets
Twazzup.com – managing real time news feeds
TweetAdder – run multiple profiles
TweetAlarm – keyword notification service
Tweetbeeps – track what’s being said about you and/or your company
TweetBlocker – minimize SPAM
Tweetchat – choose hashtags to follow, converse in real-time
TweetDeck – monitor and manage multiple social media accounts
Tweepi – find and follow people
Tweetsqueus – schedule tweets
Twhirl – social media management
Twilert – key word alerts, social media monitoring
Twitpic – share photos
Twitstra – see who’s tweeting about you – will send you any @ messages about you
Twittercounter – shows followers from your website
TwitterGrader - will rank you on how you are doing with your updates and content (taking into account for example the number of RTs you give and receive)
Twitterkarma - dossy.org/twitter/karma – check to see who is following you back
TwitterSearch (like Google) – search Twitter conversations in real time
Twittersphere – search the most talked about stories
Twittertracker.com – monitoring tool
Twuffer – schedule tweets
Ubertwitter
Untweeps – unfollow Twitter users who don’t Tweet
Ugotwit – sends you a message if your twitter handle has been tweeted
We Follow – find Twitterers to follow
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