"New vs. Old Twitter - How to Search and Save Searches"

Sometimes you might have a need to do a search and find all tweets related to a certain term. Perhaps you heard about a new product related to your niche (area of expertise) and you want to see what’s being said on twitter. No problem!

  

In the old version of Twitter, the search box is on the right side of the screen. Enter your search terms and click on the magnifying glass.

On the search results page, Click on “Save This Search” to keep a record of your search.

Your saved searches will appear in the right menu whenever you want to view them as shown below:

New Twitter:

In the new version, the search box is at the top of the screen to the right of the Twitter logo. Enter your search terms then click on the magnifying glass to search and click your mouse.

On the search results page, you can click “Save this Search” Just like in the old version, you can click on “Save this Search” to save your search for future use. However, as you can see, the button to “Save this search” is larger than in the old version.

Then your saved searches will appear in your top menu anytime you want to access them. For example:

Twitter is known for being a great source for news so if you hear of something going on in the world, do a search and you will most likely find some tweets about it.

Twitter is also a great tool for doing research. Thinking of writing an ebook on “weight loss for women”? Search Twitter periodically to find out what people are saying about your topic and what questions they are asking.

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"Twitter Power 2.0 on WPIX with Tamsen Fadal"

Joel Comm being interviewed on why Twitter is good for your business.

"Top 10 Tips for Using Twitter"

By Merle http://MerlesWorld.com

When it comes to social media, no one “gets it” as well as Twitter. According to Econsultancy, as of Jan 2010, Twitter has 75 million user accounts, with about 15 million of that total being active users. Seehttp://tinyurl.com/yetgcru . That's a lot of people sending a lot of Tweets. This micro-blogging service makes it easy for small businesses and entrepreneurs to stay in touch with those who choose to follow them, and stay updated on new products, services, special offers, industry news and more. It's a win-win for both the Tweeter, and their followers.

When it comes to using Twitter, there's a right way and a wrong way to use it. Your messages must be kept short, under 140 characters, and they need to be helpful or informative. Don't carry on about what you ate for breakfast, or the fact that you just brushed your teeth. People will unfollow you faster than they can hit the button, even if you do have good oral habits.

I've been using Twitter for a long time now and here's what I've found works best when participating in this close knit community of few words.

1) Regular Postings: Now I'm not saying you need to post every day, although that would be nice. You do need to make an appearance on a regular basis. It's like school - you need to show up to pass. Be a contributor that your followers get to really know and look forward to your Tweets. If you’re the type of person who needs to plan ahead, you can always use a service that allows you to schedule tweets in advance, such as http://www.socialoomph.com/

2) Retweet: If you see Tweets posted by other users that you think your followers would like, then retweet them. It only takes one click, and you'll also be creating goodwill with other Twitter users at the same time. If you'd like, you can add a personal thought or comment before sending it. Also, make it easy for others to retweet your posts by adding RT buttons to your website or blog. It's easy with http://tweetmeme.com/about/retweet_button

3) Be Helpful: Keep in mind Twitter is a form of social Media, so social interaction is key. It's not all about you. Whenever an opportunity arises to answer a question, participate in a survey, or help solve a problem, do so. In this way you're participating in the community. This also will help your brand and image when others know they can count on you for support or feedback.

4) Don't Be A Follow CopyCat: Don't follow everyone who follows you. This is probably my biggest pet peeve when it comes to Twitter. So many people turn this feature on to auto follow those who follow them. Why would you  want to do this? I'd prefer that those I follow are people and topics I've hand-selected that interest me, and not a mish-mash of followers who may be ranting about things I have no interest in. Be selective in who you follow or your Twitter stream could quickly fill up with junk or spam. For quality people to follow, see-http://followontwitterlists.com/

5) What to Tweet: Make sure that the tweets you post are helpful and/or informative. Late breaking news pertaining to your industry, as well as any specials or sales you may have going on are always good topics. If you find something you think your followers would like, especially if it's free or a bargain, share the love. Plus, if your tweets are good, it will encourage others to retweet them. For ideas see- http://www.artbizblog.com/2009/07/what-to-tweet.html

6) Comment: Particpate in the community by commenting on other people's tweets. If you can answer a question, do so. It never hurts and people really will appreciate it when you take the time to comment on what they  have to say. It lets them know that others are actually listening to what they have to say in the "Twitterverse".

7) Say Thank You: When someone takes the time to retweet one of your tweets, make sure to reply to them with a "thank you". Manners rule online as well as off, and they'll like the fact that you noticed the retweet and took the time to show some gratitude.  It may even inspire them to retweet more of your tweets in the future.

8) Be Personal: Again, I don't need to know what you ate for dinner, but every now and then you should show your human side with a creative thought, quote, or other statement. Let people know you're "real" and not just a lean mean business machine. You want to tread lightly in this area. Too personal is overkill, but a little can help in establishing a connection with your followers.

9) Post Pictures/Video: Remember, Twitter is not just for text. It's easy to post short videos, and pictures too. It's nice to mix it up a little and share content in other formats as well. Here are some resources http://freenuts.com/video-sharing-websites-for-twitter/

10) Talk About More Than Yourself: It's not all about you, so please don't make all your tweets one big marketing message, such as only tweeting about your latest press release, blog posting, or article that was published. No one will want to follow you if you're one big commercial. Yes, some of this is fine in moderation, but you need to walk a fine line and mix it up with other helpful, interesting topics.

Now it's time to start putting these tips into action. Social media is all about participating and listening to what others have to say. It's all about creating and sharing information and becoming part of the community. If you approach Twitter in this fashion, you'll not only have a lot more fun, but your followers will like and respect you -and if that doesn't strengthen your brand, nothing will.

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"Download TweetGlide Free"

I just downloaded this Free Twitter Desktop App: TweetGlide

Not only does it make using Twitter a lot more easier because you can easily manage all aspects of your account from one location......it also has a built in traffic network designed to send you free traffic to your website when you post updates from inside the app.

You have to see it in action! It was developed by Mike Filsaime and if you know anything about Mike, then you know that this will be a viral traffic generating machine for you. All you have to do is download it for free and maintain the same Twitter activity you were before you heard about this. Only now, you will get free traffic from it.

Here's how using this App will get you free traffic. It has a similar user interface to popular Twitter apps such as Twirl and Tweet Deck, where you have different panels for the Twitter Stream, your @ replies, and your direct messages. But what makes TweetGlide different, and more importantly, what gets you TRAFFIC is the additional
panel called the "Members Ad Stream"......where your ad (which looks like a Twitter post) that you created from inside the app will be displayed on OTHER TweetGlide users "Ad Stream" panel.

It's credit based and all you have to do is post, like you normally do, and you will earn ad credits which will convert to your ad being displayed in the stream. Pretty straight forward, but extremely powerful. But here's where it gets even better. In addition to getting credits for posting, you will get credits for referring other members, and even more credits for members YOUR referrals get to use TWeetGlide - 5 levels down!

Go download it now and start getting more traffic today.

"Twitter: Why would you care?"- Free Report

Still wondering what all the fuss is about? Not even sure what Twitter is, or how to use it? Let alone how it can help your business?

Well, you can't afford to not know anymore. Go right now and watch this very short video by Kevin Riley (only 1:52). It's free and he even let me give you a valuable report – for free.

Go now to: http://merlesworld.com/TwitterMeThis/index.html

Discover why you can no longer ignore Twitter in this FREE Report.

Merle

Twitter- “A How to Tips & Tricks Guide”

What's one of the most popular social activities on-line lately? If you said "Twittering", give yourself a gold star for paying attention. Twitter is a communication and networking tool that's huge with many Internet Marketers, and growing quickly. It's everywhere, and everyone is talking about it.

So what is Twitter and why should you care? It's very similar to instant messaging.  You set up a profile, people can choose to "follow you", and
you can choose to follow others. You send short text messages to your "followers", called “tweets”. The messages are short, no longer then 140 characters and are centered around the theme, "What are you doing now?" With such a small space you'll have to learn to be very creative. It’s the hottest thing when it comes to social media marketing.

If you’re new to Twitter and have no clue what I’m talking about then check out this 21 Page Report that will teach you the basics and get you up to speed quickly. It’s only 5.00 and it comes with resell rights so you can turn around and sell it yourself. Now that’s a pretty good deal. Download your copy now at http://www.merlesworld.com/twitter/index.html

“Steps for Mastering Twitter”

With the coverage it has been receiving lately, there would not many people who would not have at least heard of the word Twitter. Okay maybe If you don't have access to the web or have not been watching TV lately then the fact that social networking sites like Twitter are booming may have alluded you. Next time you have some spare time while surfing the net, you should do a Google search on twitter or consider visiting the site to find out directly the many fun and interesting benefits it has for users.

You must register before being able to enter the website to meet the wide variety of members, all with their own reasons for being there. Most people that you will find on Twitter are there to link or network with other people. Much of twitter's fame can be attributed to the ability to stay in touch, literally every hour of the day as new information is provided by friends, family or any topic of interest, all in one free to use system. In addition to those members, there are those who simply want to extract more income or take their business to another level.

Following the steps below will have you on the road to being a master of all things twitter, whatever your purpose:

1) Visibility - you must aim to have high exposure on Twitter. Spend a few hours every day writing new tweets and replying the tweets you get sent to you. It's a great way to make more contacts socially or for business. Set up a daily routine for your twitter activities like designating certain hours for tweeting. Always follow a number of new members each week and try to entice them to follow you in return. A good thing on Twitter is that you can respond by using your cell phone. This consistent sending and responding to tweets can be time consuming but it can definitely help increase your visibility.

2) Powerful profile – after registering at Twitter, one of your first priorities should be designing your own unique member profile. This page should aim to be interesting yet reflect your personal character or business. A powerful profile may be informative but not boring. A great profile can draw immediate reaction and the need for connection to you.

3) Twittering - you should make a effort to tweet about the fun and interesting events occurring in your life. You can use anything about your life and experiences. After receiving messages, try to respond to them in a timely and respectful manner. When someone sends you a tweet also remember to thank the person. Try to look at Twitter as a blank piece of paper, where you are free to write whatever you want others to know.

4) Twitter Networking - Millions of members use Twitter daily. Focus on making contact with those in your target market and follow them. Also endeavor to establish good and friendly bonds with those you meet. After developing many friends, you can progressively promote your business without seeming too over zealous. Gaining new clientèle for your items and services will be easier with time because they have built up confidence in your reputation.

5) Direct Messages (DM) - directly sending messages like emails or private messaging in forums to specific users only can be effective. Read any messages received and let them know how much you appreciate it. This specific list of close contacts can be used as your own custom targeted group of leads but don't over do the advertising because that can be interpreted as spamming them.

6) Videos and Images – This is an often over looked medium in Twitter but it can be very rewarding to share video clips and images. It builds branding and familiarity with your user name because other people can get an overview of your life and the type person that you are.

“Learn about Twitter Tools”

Heaps of people are happily devoted Twitter users, a social network and even so, there are still a lot of other people who aren't acquainted with the mini blogging web site. For the twitter uninitiated this information will be just perfect to learn more about this latest online craze. 

With the release of Twitter in 2006, those from the younger generation were quick to realize the sites ability to keep them connected with friends and their day to day activities. Personal text messages can be transmitted and received fast by using tweets. Tweets are limited to a maximum 140 characters and come to be also known as a micro-blogging. The topic or purpose of these tweets are limited only by the creators imagination - you can share your personal point of view, the things that you are doing or simply to also view some areas that may interest you. As its community began to rapidly increase, private organizations saw the opportunity for it to work as a promotional tool. Some companies have been able to improve their business but there have also been those who would have spent substantial money and resources on twitter only to derive little benefit.

The premise of Twitter is to basically follow anyone or anything of interest to you. Once you follow a certain person, you will receive their tweets. When a member follows you, the profile of that person can be checked in order to decide if you want to follow them in return. When you want to send the tweets, you do not have to do so manually because there are tools can be used to automatically send your messages to all your subscribers. Most of these Twitter tools are available for use at no cost and can be big time savers. There are twitter applications like 'PostLater' and “autotweeter” to automate many of the processes such as to follow users who follow you.

When writing your tweet updates, make sure that you aim to generate a reaction from its reader. If your tweets are appealing, you can easily gain more valuable followers. This is very useful when you do blog posts or performing internet marketing.

Online business is a very competitive industry now and twitter can be a cost effective way to get precious leads for getting new clientèle. In order to gain a custom list of followers, you need to make friends before swamping them with advertising propaganda. Having lots of trusting friends will help your business marketing success. When you have a lot of fans, you can mention your business and services that you want to advertise. You can provide a url link to your service or programs, and if they have confidence, they will not hesitate on clicking on the text links.

Twollo is a another free application designed to track targeted individuals based on keyword terms. All that is required is provide the keyword that interests you and the tool locates people who are also talking about that niche. If these people want to, they will also follow you back too.

Beware that just because you choose to follow a member, it does not assure that they will follow you back. Always check your statistics. When someone is not following you, unfollow that person and its recommended that this clean out of your account account occurs weekly. The program from "friendorfollow.com" is just one such available tool that is perfectly suited to this account maintenance job.

“Everything you need to know about Twittering”

It is fair to say that Twitter has had an gigantic effect on how social networking communities are designed. After just 3 years of existence twitter has already climbed to the 3rd most used social  media website with Facebook being the largest followed by Myspace in second place. For June 2009, Alexa traffic statistics indicate Twitter is ranked 33 overall for the most visited sites and is estimated to have 9 million registered users from the world over. So,  have you taken the plunge yet and started twittering?

Twitter is often coined as a micro-blogging web site which allows anyone to stay in communication with others 24/7. You can register by surfing to 'twitter.com' site and writing your personal details in the spaces provided. It is advisable to provide your real info so you are able to connect with real people. In your account profile settings you can unselect ‘protect my updates’ to let everyone read your tweet updates or leave it ticked in order to restrict your  messages only to those close allies or followers.

Sending your Twitter account url link to all your friends and relatives can let them now know that you have an account on Twitter.

Even when you aren't actually on the net, Twitter can still be used. When you're a registered member on Twitter, you can also enter your personal profile by  using Instant Messenger application or cellular phone. To set up this feature with your profile, first you have the right settings checked to link your mobile and instant message accounts to Twitter.

Once this is done, tweeting messages can be sent by any of the registered devices. To transfer tweets via your mobile phone, a text sms is sent to the number 40404. The unique caller ID from your mobile device is than stored on your profile so those tweets will be identified in the future. If you’re in AIM, you can send the IM to TwitterIM but if you’re in Yahoo or MSN they can be sent via instant message to Twitter so it makes no difference where you are, friends and followers will have access to your tweets and can even receive tweet updates on their mobile device.

But you may still ask how do I read my friends messages that they send? Well, to do this you need to log into Twitter and add your friends user names to your own list. In your account there is an ‘Actions’ tab box, use your mouse to click on the word 'Add’. Another good feature is the search box that will let you find user profiles of more friends and maybe even close relatives or school friends you have lost contact with. It is important to note twitter users that have account profiles selected as private will have to accept a follower request from you before it is possible to start reading their tweets.

Managing your list of contacts is difficult via cell phone so it is much simpler to do it online. You can also choose to restrict phone use to only receive the tweets so even if you are away from your computer, updates will still be sent.

Twittering can really bring a lot of enjoyment. It is worth the time it takes to register there and configure your profile to suit your life.  Go meet up with all your mates and find out what they are doing. Just remember to post tweets regularly too so everyone will be kept up to date. There are also many useful tools that help save the amount of time that it takes to do some of the more mundane processes and allow twitter to be a more enjoyable experience.

"Don't Just Type Your "Tweets"- Speak Them"

By Merle http://MerlesWorld.com

When it comes to social networks, Twitter is definitely king. With millions of users, and new ones coming on board daily, this micro-blogging service is a very powerful communication tool.

In the space of 140 characters, you can type short messages and instantly send them to your "followers".  But what if you don't have Internet access and you still want to send those tweets? No problem. If you have a phone, you can speak your messages, and within a short amount of time see them posted on Twitter.

Let's review some of the services that can be used to make this possible.

1) http://www.TwitWoop.com

Your voice message can be up to 140 seconds long. Your followers can even use reply codes and respond in kind to your messages. You can register up to two phones per Twitter account. After registering, you'll need to call a New York or California phone number to record your outgoing tweets. If you live out of state, you will be charged long distance call rates.

2) http://www.CallTweet.com

Local access numbers are provided which you can call.  All you need to do is enter in your username and password, and start talking. Your followers will receive a tweet that contains a link back to your audio message. Simple.

3) http://www.TweetCall.com

It doesn't get any easier than this. Once registered, call 877-TWEETCALL and speak your "tweet". Within minutes, it’s passed on to your Twitter account. Your user name and password for this site are the same as your Twitter account.

4) http://www.TwitterFone.com

No Internet access? This free service makes it possible to speak your message into any phone, and within 5 to  10 minutes have it posted on Twitter. You'll need to ask for an "invitation" to be able to register for TwitterFone. Local numbers are provided. "Twitter Streams" can also be replied to, or direct messages can also be sent.

So, the next time you want to tell the world what you're up to, forget the computer and “speak your tweets”. Now that you know how easy it is to do, you might find that this is your favorite way of updating your followers,and "Tweet Speak" might just become your second language. I sure wish they would have taught this in High School.<grin>

“Social Networking with Twitter”

It sort of goes without saying that Internet relationships are very dissimilar from real world relationships. Despite this, masses of online users continue to connect with other people through social network sites and among these web sites is Twitter. In fact if you're a subscriber to Twitter, you have the potential to cross paths with millions of other people such is its vast reach. Out of all those other fellow twitterer's it is safe to say you will be able to find people that share a common interest either business and or personal.

Also while using Twitter - the newest of the social networking online crazes you will be able to do micro-blogging. Why is it referred to as micro you may ask? Well, it is because you can only compose a message (tweet) of just 140 characters maximum. It could be considered too short for going into much detail but easily long enough to report whatever is occurring in your day at that particular point in time. You see, if you become a frequent Twitterer, you'll be regularly required to answer the question; "What have you been doing? And the replying tweet must be written within that character limit.

When you reply to this question or when you perform updates, the tweets are sent to all your profile subscribers to alert them to what you are doing. The Twitter developer designed the site with this exact purpose in mind, one centralized  platform to find out all the activities of his friends and that is precisely what you'll be able to get from Twitter.

For example, you go out to do some shopping at the local mall. You'll be able to update your tweets and inform your followers of this situation. Now, some friends may reply to your tweets but some won't. The receiver of the tweets isn't forced to respond straight away and that is one of the best strengths of the twitter system. In fact, they could ignore the update, if they want. There is enough flexibility to suit every user, dependent on their own situation and its a simple matter of you changing the settings from your profile page.

You can limit which of your friends receive the tweet messages. As well as determining when and where you'll receive the tweets. For example, you receive the tweets on your cell phone so that wherever the location, you'll know what your friends are up to; and you are able to even answer them back via your own cell phone if desired. As time is spent learning the ropes and you will soon come to enjoy it even more once you realize the many other capabilities beyond just communicating with friends, family or colleagues. Thanks to a huge explosion in 2009, Twitter is fast closing in on the amount of traffic received by the other two online networking giants MySpace and Facebook. Visitor growth jumped 83 percent to 17 million unique visitors in April 2009 according to www.comscore.com.

Why not stay connected all day long? There is no requirement to access your Twitter account whenever you want to update messages on your profile page. Twitter itself as well as third party programmers have developed many great widgets and software that help make changes to an account without even logging into the site. Making use of these applications can be enjoyable and reduce the time needed to be an active user.  

User surveys have shown people actually prefer twitter because of its ease of use compared to other such social sites. Go ahead and try the Twitter experience, it costs nothing to join or utilize and see if you can track down any past friends as they probably already have their own profile.

Twitter Client Apps

The biggest problem with the standard Twitter web application is that you have to keep an eagle eye on your replies and Direct Messages as you only see the main Tweetstream on the screen. It is also limited in that it only displays about the last 20 tweets, so if you want to see older ones, you have to keep going back pages. So what to do?

Easy, download Tweetdeck from http://www.tweetdeck.com The first thing you will probably notice is that you will need to change the settings as the default is white text on a black screen. Makes it hard to read I've found, but each to their own.

Tweetdeck is brilliant in that it displays the Tweetstream, your replies and your direct messages all on the one screen. The message columns allow for 500 tweets as a default, so scrolling down allows you to go back a fair way or search for tweets you may want to refer back to.

The screen has a continuous right hand scroll, so you can set up different groups and their tweets will appear in that column. You might have a group called best friends and another for gardeners for instance. That way you don't miss important tweets from people who are more important to you than others. At the time of writing, Tweetdeck is probably the most widely used application for Twitter and I would highly recommend it to you.

“Shorten and Track Those Twitter Links”

TwitPwr is a short url service that will track the number of clicks the links you send out to your Twitter followers actually get. Good information to know right? I mean you spend a lot of time communicating with Twitter every day, but is anyone really listening??

This site also assigns a power rating to users who’s links receive the most clicks. It’s free to sign up and once you register and send out a link, here’s what you’ll see on your profile page: A Screenshot of the site, Traffic Data, Alexa Stats, Related Links and more.

If you’ve been sending out aimless links to your Twitter followers why not try out this free tracking service and find out who is really paying attention to you. It should be a real eye opener.

http://twitpwr.com/

TweetThis- Let Others Tweet Your Blog Posts or Web Pages

TwitThis- Ok, so I'm out surfing the Net today while I should be working out and I stumble across something on a web page that says "TwitThis"...Wow, I think to myself never seen this before. Being the curious little monkey that I am I quickly go to my good friend Google and search for it. And lo and behold in all of its glory there it is "TwitThis".

If you use Twitter you know how cool it is and there are hundreds of apps springing up every day to extend it's functionality but this is so very needed. I'm often on web pages and want to send it to my followers so I have to jump over to Twitter, this allows your site guest to easily click on the button and send out your link to his followers. Viral marketing in a flash. Sort of a 2009 twist on a "refer a friend" script, but much safer and cooler. Did I say cool again? Anyway, if you'd like to add this to your blog posts or website there are instructions on the site to spell it out for you.

If you use Blogger like I do they point you to a site http://cranialsoup.blogspot.com/2009/01/add-twitthis-button-to-your-blogger.html that walks you step-by-step how to copy and paste the code. Even a fourth grader can do this. No charge to use TwitThis so don't be a boring tweeter get TwitThis now. Now, where are my weights.