A tool that is a bit more ’surgical’ in it’s use is UnTweeps. This site shows you people on you List that havve not posted in a while. You can search for stale Twitter Followers in 30 day increments: 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days. Any Tweeps that have ignored their feeds for this amount of time can quickly and painlessly be UnFollowed. Harsh, true, but sometimes we need to get rid of the old to bring in the new!

TwitPic: Awesome app that lets you post pics to Twitter, and will also let your followers (and others) see other photos that you’ve posted. A must have for the pic-buffs out there!

TweetDeck: I’ve reviewed this Adobe Air-based application already, but for those of you that don’t feel like scrolling down, this is my favorite and most often-used application. The multiple panes allow for a quick and easy view of everything going on in your Tweetdom.

Twhirl: Great alternative to TweetDeck. Use this app if you prefer a simple IM-like interface, and want to see everything in one pane. I use this alongside TweetDeck, as it allows for maintaining more than one Twitter account.

TwitterSearch: Twitter’s search function, and one of the ones that I end up using most often. Search for a word, a term, or pretty much anything else, and you’ll see exactly who’s talking about it and when. Also allows you to link to it as an RSS feed, allowing you to post Tweets on any topic to your blog or site (if there isn’t already a better Twitter solution out there).

TweetStats: Find out all of the stats on Twitter, including most Tweeted topics, peak usage times, etc. Builds a customized page for you detailing all of your Twitter-oriented statistics.

TwitterToolbar: If you are the type of person that likes to keep everything in your browser, then this app is a must-have! Works great with Firefox and with Internet Explorer.

Monitter: Another Must-Bookmark app for anyone that is wanting to use Twitter for Business! Monitter allows you to see a side-by-side view of live Tweets on any three keywords or phrases. The best part is, you can sort the search results by proximity to any zip code. If you have a location-based or brick-and-mortar business, then this app will allow you to see who is talking about your business, and where they are from!

Twitter Atlas: Very interesting Flash-based online mapping interface, aggregating Tweets from around the world. Also allows you to get standard atlas functionality, including getting directions, finding places to eat, etc.

Follow the Leader

1. Follow others to be followed. If no-one knows who you are, why would they follow you? Some people recommend following anyone you come across. This may be an option for you if you really don’t plan on keeping up with your feed. I recommend finding people in the same industry as you, or Tweeps that often talk about things you are interested in. This will make your endeavours Much more interesting. Now, you have to show a bit of restraint. More often than not, if Tweeps are looking at your profile prior to deciding to follow you back or not, you want to make sure to watch your Ratio. I will go into that in another lesson, but basically, don’t let the number of people you are following exceed 2x your amount of followers. This makes you look more like a spam account, and will cause any discerning eye to wonder. Keep it slow at first, but slow and steady win the race! **Disclaimer ** There are many Twexperts that will tell you to follow anything and everything that Tweets. Doing this is like throwing a stick of dynamite in the water- you’ll get more fish, but who knows what kind of trouble may come along!

2. If you Bore them, they will run. If you had your choice of listening to someone interesting on one side of the table, or a monotonous boring accountant discuss taxes on the other (sorry to the accountants out there!), which would you pay more attention to? The same rule applies to Twitter. Sure, some of the more boring types may give you some interesting information, but that’s probably because they are at the top of their field. Your goal is to NOT become one of these types, as you are not yet qualified to call yourselves Twexperts. Your followers that actually read their feeds want to be entertained. They want to know more about you, but not enough to make your family doctor blush. They want to feel your day passing by, they want to smell the meal your spouse is preparing (you lazy Tweeps, you should be helping!). To build a strong following, and not one made of cards, treat your Tweeps as an audiene that can leave (unfollow) at any moment. The person that keeps everyone entertained at the party is the one that everyone talks about later. Become that person on Twitter, and watch the ReTweets and @Replies float in!

3. If they come a’knockin, say hello! You will have much better luck getting new followers to remain followers if you engage them as soon as you get that email in your inbox. Say hello, thank them for showing interest in your “Exciting and Tantalizing” life, and let them know you’re available to chat. Hook them from the get-go, and you won’t have a problem keeping them as your trusty followers for a good, long time (or until you Tweet something they don’t like).

4. There should be a limit on Tweets , but there isn’t. I have unfollowed many Tweeps for the simple reason that they polluted my feed. I try to stay within around 3-7 Tweets during any given 1/2 hour period. This includes 1 ReTweet, and 2 @Replies. Sometimes you may get into a convo with an interesting Tweep, but remember – ALL of your followers see that converstation, and not all of them will appreciate it as much as you do. A quick rule of them, the third @Reply in a row to the same Tweep should never happen. Take it to the DM (Direct Message, not DungeonMaster). Don’t overTweet yourself. Take a breather. If something REALLY exciting is happening and you have to tell everyone but there isn’t enough room in just one Tweet and you have to use seven to tell the whole story because it is so awesome but there is just no way to tell everyone without using seven Tweets because for some reason Twitter decided to only give you 140 characters to type a message and you can’t figure out who can say something in 140 characters or less because everytime you send a text your friends end up getting three and they are always all jumbled like and no one really gets what you’re saying… You get the picture. If you have to tell a story, take it old-school, one step up — to the Blogs! Write a blog post that details EVERYTHING that you want to say, and then Tweet a quick summary with a shortened link to your post. In the case above, you could title it “Out of Breath, but BIG NEWS! http://notsure.whatlink.to.put”

5. More to Come… Not only is this a notice that I’ll have many more tips coming up, but it is a tip in an of itself! Always leave a little bit wanting. Let your followers know that you are full of little 140 character or less tidbits of information, insight, advice, humor, what have you. If they are always expecting something interesting, they won’t leave you, and they’re more likely to key into your Tweets when scanning their feed after an hour or a day (say it isn’t so!) of inactivity.

If you are looking for a cheat-sheet on who to follow, take a look at virl.com’s list of the Top 250 People that are the Coolest, Most Influential or Neatest on Twitter. The great thing for you to know is, all of these people have a HUGE following, and most of them will graciously follow you back. Now, if you’re expecting to get some great conversation out of them, I would look elsewhere. Tweeps with 1000+ followers that follow at least as many tend to stay mum, and most never look at their @replies, due to the staggering amount of them. If you had the patience to follow 100,000 people, and only 1% of them wrote you once a day, you would have 1000 messages to keep up with!

If you need to draw numbers, then feel free to follow them. Any of them will be an asset to your Tweetdom. I’ll admit- I follow of few of the Tweeps on that list – but primarily because I’ve looked over their latest updates and enjoyed what I saw. You never know- someone combing through the list of their Followers looking for fellow Tweeps interested in the same topics may just decide to follow you, as well. Plus, the automatic Black/Grey-hat FollowBots out there have a higher likelihood of finding you.

In my opinion, the best way to build a Strong following is to have an opinion. I emphasize Strong following, because it’s difficult getting people to look at you product or hear about your service if don’t even look at their feed. Let you followers know what you think (the ones that really do care), and find people that talk about topics you’re interested in. If they’re talking about it, and they see that you are too, then you are usually going to have another follower. Their friends will notice them talking to you, and will get curious, and will also follow you. If you keep this up with various active people on Twitter, you’ll be the King of your very own Tweetdom before you know it!

A number of mainstream Twitter advertising programs are already out there. A couple of the bigger ones that came into my radar are Magpie and Twittadd.

Magpie

Interested in advertising directly into someone else’s Tweets? The answer might just be Magpie. This service allows you to get your campaign message into  the Tweets of effective users. It is a Pay Per Click backend scheme that will let you put ads into the Tweets of influential Tweeples. If their users click on the adds, they make money. Hence, it’s in their best interest to maintain friends that will be interested in the adds that they have on their Twitter feeds. This give you quality advertising directly with whatever market you are interested in reaching, and you don’t have to pay unless someone visits your site or purchases your product.

The problem with Magpie is that it is very controversial in the Twitter world. Many people that use Twitter primarily for personal networking don’t like having constant ads popping up. This is very understandable, as spam in any form is still spam. If you make ads that are unobtrusive and don’t seem like the typical add, you probably won’t cause any lost followers. It’s up to you to decide whether or not this type of advertising with help or hurt your business.

Magpie also allows you to get on the other side of making money on Twitter. By providing your account name and password (hmm…) you can allow them to ’strategically’ place ads in your Tweets. You decide whether to have them placed every 15 posts, 5 posts, or even every other post. As I mentioned, there is a good likelihood that you will loser followers because of this. If you have an account with 50,000+ followers, however, you can take the risk and make 2% and up on promoting MyFax, Expedia.com, and a great variety of other businesses, products, and services.

Twittad

A service that is considered less intrusive (and hence, less controversial) is Twittad. This monetizing program keeps out of your Twitter posts, and instead places adds on the background of your Twitter.com profile. This method is becoming obsolete, as more and more people are shifting away from looking at the browser-based profiles, and instead relying on the profile info provided by desktop, browser, or mobile clients. This may be the perfect fit for you, however, if you are looking for a limited solution to get some extra referrals to your site without having to pay for an expensive ongoing ad campaign.

For those of you with a profile background that you’re not really doing much with, sprucing it up a bit with Twittad isn’t that bad of an idea. It is the virtual equivalent of putting a politician’s yard sign in front of your house. Your friends and neighbors can look at it, but no one is telling them to vote for the guy/gal.

Other options to make money advertising on Twitter is contacting and signing businesses that are interested in your advertisements, and managing the campaigns yourself. Note – this will probably only work if you have at least 2500 followers. Otherwise, businesses are more likely to go with one of the services mentioned above, as they will get more bang for their buck.

The best, and most effective way to make money on Twitter using Advertising is simply running a good blog or web site. Provide constant udates and fresh content, and send your followers to your site to read what you have come up with (or watch you latest video). Once your followers are at your site, they will have the chance to click on any advertising or affiliate links that you may have put up. The benefit is that you are directing traffic To your site, rather than causing followers to fall away. In these days, it is fairly standard to see Adwords sections somewhere on a blogger’s page, but the concept of ads via Tweet is still fairly alien.

If you are wanting to keep a good ratio of Following/Followers, then make sure to use this service to its’ full potential. It helps to have a good ratio so that other quality Tweeps (Twitter People.. s) can see that you are a serious Twitter user.  If you really don’t care that you are following 1,500 people, and only 130 of them are extending you the same courtesy, then keep on truckin’!

A list of interesting Twitter apps can be found on Twitter’s App Page. Two of the Desktop clients that I am now evaluating are TweetDeck and Twhirl. I have been using TweetDeck for around a month or so, and have been very happy with it. It allows me to have individual panes open showing me my general feed, replies to my Tweets, and Direct messages. One of my favorite features is the Profile view that pops up when I need it. I get tired of apps that do nothing but redirect you to the web version of whatever it is you’re looking for. Having it all in one tidy package is definitely a big help.

Another interesting feature that I like about TweetDeck is the integrated TwitScoop pane that shows you the latest trending topics. Great way to see who’s talking about what.

TweetDeck

Unique TweetDeck Features:

• TwitScoop Integration – Another interesting feature that I like about TweetDeck is the integrated TwitScoop pane that shows you the latest trending topics. Great way to see who’s talking about what.
• Set your own Groups- A great feature for Business Twitterers. I have been steadily building my Follow list, but I don’t necessarily want to see EVERY update from some of the people that I follow. Grouping allows me to see posts only from the Twitter friends that I want to see, without having to unfollow others.
• Post Video through 12 Seconds – Great feature if you love doing video. I don’t, so I don’t really use this much.
• Pane Views- This is the primary feature that differentiates TweetDeck from Twhirl and other clients that I use. I run my 17″ laptop screen at 1920×1200 resolution, so I have no problem keeping a bigger window open that will show me everything that I need to see in one glance. For those that don’t necessarily have acres of screen real estate to spare, there is a sliding bar at the bottom that lets you leave the window small, but still have access to the other panes.
• Search Engine- A full search engine harnessing the power of Twitter Search. Another great solution integrated into the pane views of the program, allowing you to search for specific keywords without having to go into your browser.
• Facebook Integration- With the latest Beta release of TweetDeck, you are now able to add a pane dedicated to your Facebook friends updates. I’ll be honest- ever since I got on Twitter, I have left my Facebook account sitting on a shelf collecting dust. I’ve noticed that with this new version of TweetDeck, I now visit my Facebook page much more often to comment, answer messages, and deal with all of the Invites and Superpokes thrown my way.

Overall, as I mentioned, I’ve been very happy with TweetDeck. The one feature that I wish they would add is the ability to include multiple accounts. I have my primary account that I use for my network of ventures, but I have other miscellaneous accounts for other projects.

Twhirl’s Unique Features

• Multiple accounts – This is the big one! I currently have three secondary accounts that am plugged into through Twhirl. TweetDeck is great for all of the functionality, but it still keeps me logging into Twitter on my browser to check feeds from my other accounts. Twhirl has made it possible to keep all of my other accounts on my desktop, saving me a great deal of time every evening when I typically go through my feeds and responses.
• Client for other Social Networks- In addition to Twitter, Twhirl allows you to also access Friendfeed, Identi.ca and Laconi.ca. If you are into Vlogging, Twhirl’s got you hooked up with Seesmic as well. I’ll be honest – I haven’t played with these settings much, as i haven’t found a need to set up my own microblogging service. For those of you that are wondering, Identi.ca is a Twitter-like service based on the Laconi.ca platform. If you are wanting to set up your own decentralized Twitter-like service, take a look!
• Organization- TweetDeck keeps everything in one, long window. Twhirl splits each individual component into it’s own window that you can place wherever you wish on your screen. For some, this may get to be too much to keep up with. The great thing is, you can have it all go back into your taskbar with one click! The whole setup (even with multiple accounts open) takes up less real estate than a useable TweetDeck setup, so this may be a good compromise for those of you needing wiggle room on your screens.
• Search Functions- A bit more confusing for me than TweetDeck’s search. It seems like once you get the hang of it, Twhirl’s search may have a bit more functionality, though.

These are the two Twitter Desktop apps that I’m currently using. There are other solutions out there, and I look forward to reviewing them all. You would be hardpressed to establish an effective Twitter-based marketing or brand development campaign without making use of a capable desktop app. There’s just too much information to comb through having to rely on the simple Twitter browser or a mobile app. Those solutions are great in and of themselves, and will be featured in other articles. If you have any questions or comments, and are a member of the TweetClubb, feel free to call or write!

This question has been asked in multiple nations, languages and dialects around the world. The momentum behind Twitter has been extraordinary- it has quickly overtaken most (if not all) other social networking platforms. The buzz associated with Twitter, and the simplicity behind the concepts, makes an an extremely viable platform for marketing, promotions, and brand development.

Imagine if, within a few days (or hours, if you are that dedicated) you could find 100,000 people to here about your business or product. How much would you pay for the opportunity to advertise to such a divers cross-section of people?

Beyond the large scope of the platform, there are also tools built into the API that allow you to target customers, clients, and readers with surgical precision. Already have an established brand? You can find out who is talking about you, and what they are saying! Looking to promote a brand? Using our tips and one-on-one guidance, you’ll be able to attract a large following, and create buzz throughout the network that will grow exponentially!

As I have mentioned, the business model for a number of my ventures has been modified to implement the newest tecniques that I have learned. Twitter is an extremely adaptable, robust, and constantly evolving business platform wrapped in a cute little package. I have learned to sum up my business pitch for a new venture, introduction to a potential new client, and request for feedback into short, 140 character tidbits. The long-winded prose we were taught in business school has flown out the window. The perfect punctuation and proper structuring of the email days has been replaced with the instant gratification and shortened jargon of the SMS Generation. To those that haven’t yet had a chance to apply for your visa into this newest social monstrosity, all of this may not yet make sense. Once you dive into it, however, you’ll have a tough time remembering to put it aside and come up for air.

No matter how we look at it, the world around us is speeding up. What once took years now takes weeks, days, or even seconds. The information age has evolved into the Instant Age, where we expect things to happen Exactly when we want them to. The perception of the passing of time has even been sped up in the last couple of decades. It is a phenomenon that many in the scientific community have yet to explain. Einstein’s theories of the relativity of time and space seem to make more sense now than ever! Time is what we make of it, and it is up to us to make the most of what little time we have. The business world is in no way immune to the changes in the perception of time. Colleagues and employees can be reached immediately. Information can be sent within seconds to any point in the world. Video conferences can take place between parties from opposite sides of the globe. The face-to-face business meeting is becoming rare in the new business environment. The concept of Twitter embaces the rigid demands of the business sector, and creates a completely new method of advertising, promoting, and receiving instant feedback from customers and potential pertners alike.

If you are not sure of how Twitter can be used to revolutionize your industry, business, or personal life, feel free to join TweetCluBB and we’ll be happy to go over then entire concept with you. It is my belief that anyone can benefit from using Twitter, regadless their age, industry, or location.

In the first two weeks of using Twitter, I was able to interface directly and build connections with CEO’s of companies that I had been interested in, designers and musicians from around the globe, and others that I would have never had a chance to meet without the use of Twitter. In the first month, it had completely changed the way that I do business. Rather than find those that I need to talk to, I let them come to me. By using resources such as Twitter’s Search Page, anyone can find exactly who is talking about any specific keyword. For example, if I’m interested in finding out who is talking about the latest developments in Nightlife, all I have to do is go to #Nightlife. I am thinking about ordering a pizza from Tony’s Pizza. Who else has eaten at #Tony’s Pizza? Beginning to see what I mean? Well, often when I bring up a topic about a specific business or product, I receive a message from someone that is involved with that product, and happens to be watching who is talking about that particular keyword. Using this method, I am also able to track who is interested in, critiquing, or discussing my own ventures, blogs, or products.

It is the opinion of many keen minds in the business world that Twitter is going to become of the most important advertising tools out there (at least until the next phenomenon comes around). The problem is that Twitter’s simplicity is also the primary source of confusion when it comes to integrating Twitter into a business marketing model. I myself was confused why people would want to know what I’m doing, and when I’m doing it. I couldn’t see why it would matter to my clients or business contacts where I’m having lunch at a particular moment. But, true to my nature, I dove headfirst into the business end of Twitter, and researched every possible scenario of how I can make the most of Twitter. The knowledge that I came back with has come in handy for many of my clients. My Team and I will now offer that knowledge and advice to anyone that wants to learn how to harness the power of Twitter for their own business, brand, product, or marketing plan.

The majority of my consulting business is based on initial retainers, with additional time, materials, and other expenses added on as we go. My clients time is very valuable to them. My time is very valuable to me (My billable rates for general business consultation are currently $140/hr). In this case, I am going to utilize the simplicity of Twitter to make this as simple as possible. The Total cost of the TweetClubb program is $100. My team and I will collect information about what you do, what you are wanting to do, and what you wish you could do with regards to your business. You will be provided with an outline of specific ways how Twitter can be used to increase your market share, client base, and/or sales within the First Month of use! The TwitterCluBB pros will create a custom-tailored Twitter account specifically for your business, and will add you into the Twitter directories that will maximize your networking potential for your specific industry and/or market. You will be shown how to maximize the potential of your Twitter account, and will receive ongoing tips and advice directly tailored for You from Myself and my Team. The time I have spent developing this program and studying the intricacies of implementing the Twitter model to cover my clients’ specific needs is valued at well over $1500/client. All of the other services I am offering give this program a retail value of well over $3,000. We are offering you all of this for the one-time fee of $100.

Does this sound like an infomercial? Well, when was the last time you heard an infomercial selling a product that was Custom Tailored for Your Business for less than the cost of dinner in a nice restaurant?

Now comes our Guarantee. If we cannot provide you with specific examples of how Twitter will work for you, we will refund 100% of your membership fee. You have nothing to lose!
Why am I offering this opportunity for $100? Simply, because the economy sucks. It seems like no one is doing anything to change it. Since I don’t want to run out of fuel for my convertible, and don’t want to see my favourite Las Vegas casino close down (The Venetian, in case you’re wondering), I want to do my part to help. I truly believe that by teaching others to help themselves, and (in turn) others, I can help create a chain reaction that will change things for the better. Is that narcissistic of me? You Betcha! But without a positive outlook, we are all doomed to a life of mediocrity, and (in turn) unhappiness.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave me a Comment, or create an account and send me a message. If you need other ways to track me down, look in one of the pages on this site dedicated to figuring out where I am and how to reach me. Don’t ask me where to look – I’m just here to give this pitch. Other than that, I encourage you to Join the Program, Learn how to harness this newest phenomenon in the social world, and

DO SOME GOOD while MAKING MONEY!

Follow me @tweetclubb !

I rather like the theme that I chose for this page, which is called Fresh Tweet, and can be found Here!

This particular theme is based on the primary focus of the TweetCluBB, Twitter! More info about the project can be found above!