Although Twitter is an excellent marketing opportunity and source of news updates, the site is far from perfect. Additional sites have popped up with such features as URL shortening, tweet scheduling, and automatic blog/Twitter integration that feeds your recent posts into your Twitter stream. Here's a look at some of the sites that make Twitter easier – and more useful.
Sites that schedule tweets
If you use a Twitter client, then it probably has a built-in function that schedules your tweets for a later date. But if you've opted to use Twitter on the Web, then the only way you can schedule future tweets is by using one of the scheduling sites.
Although you have to either log in through the external site or connect an app with your Twitter account, scheduling tweets can be an effective way to stay on top of your social media marketing while still managing your time.
Be aware that setting up recurring messages is considered spam according to Twitter's terms of service, so most of the scheduling sites don't allow you to easily do this. You can, however, set up an entire week's worth of tweets in one sitting – then sit back and watch your replies roll in.
5 scheduling sites to try:
Sites that find other users
Finding and following other like-minded users on Twitter is essential to your success; although not everyone will follow you back, most people will at least look at your profile and tweets. If you can draw them in with quality content, you can connect with a larger and larger group of people, expanding your circle of contacts. But how do you find other Twitter users? The Web-based search function on Twitter is pretty limited. You can search for a name, interest, or email address, and you can request that the results include only users near your location, but that's it. Some external sites allow you to find users with a host of interests, see what everyone in your area is tweeting about, search for name or lines in a bio and more.
4 search sites to try:
- Twellow: A searchable directory of public Twitter accounts.
- Nearby Tweets: Find out what people in your area are tweeting about and search for specific keywords in your ZIP code to find like-minded users near you.
- Local Follow: Search for Twitter users by bio, location, name, or tweet content.
- We Follow: A user-generated search site. You can search by interest and the site sorts users by influence, but unless a tweeter has listed themselves on WeFollow, they won't show up on the site.
URL-shortening sites
