5 Twitter Tools You Should Be Using If You Are A Blogger

Of all the social networks that currently exist, my favourite is Twitter. Why? Well, because I do not have to spend valuable time adding dozens of glitter buttons (not that there is anything wrong with that) or filling out numerous quizzes or downloading a million billion photos.

I just tweet and go. Love it. It is a tool on the web like no other. Someone described Twitter as “IM on crack”, and I like that.

With that fine introduction to what Twitter is (for the few among you who might not have heard of or used it), following are my top picks for twitter tools you should be using if you are a blogger.

1. Twitter Feed

This is where the RSS feed function of Twitter comes into play. I cannot tell you how many times I have come across a feed tweet from a blogger that led to some interesting or useful information. Feed tweets grab my attention all the time and I have discovered a number of great bloggers who I would not have heard of any other way. Do not miss out on sharing a great post, use Twitter Feed.

2. Twhirl

This is a neat widget download that allows for the use of Twitter like an instant messenger, as opposed to having a web window open. You can send tweets, receive tweets, fave tweets, share pics, share links, and you can re-tweet with Twhirl (my favourite feature). It is free, easy, and fun. A must if you are a blogger.

3. SocialOomph

You can do several things with this great free tool. (There is a professional version as well.) First, you can schedule an upcoming Tweet and have it delivered at a predetermined date and time. Second, you can automatically follow people who follow you. Third, you can automatically send a thank you message to new followers as a DM. and that´s just 3 of a long list of very cool features. NOTE: Personally, I do not like to auto follow or send out automatic DM’s. But I think SocialOomph is a valuable tool for a lot of other reasons.

4. Twitter Search

The name says it all. This site allows you to search in real time for whatever topics you want more information on. You type in a search query and it searches all of Twitter for a result. Very addictive. Be warned!

5. Monitter

I do not use this one very offten, but its worthy of mention. It is like Twitter Search, in that it allows you to search. But it displays three columns worth of tweets, as opposed to one. Great for multi-taskers.

Want/Need More?

Here is a link to a fantastic round up of Twitter tools. It is a really long list, so go grab a cup of coffee before reading this one.

Not On Twitter, Yet?

If you do not have a Twitter account yet and are unsure about how to use it, how to add followers, what to tweet about, etc., you might want to check out Twitter For Dummies and/or Joel Comm´s “Twitter Power 2.0” (both available at Amazon.com).

There are many tools and apps that expand the functionality of Twitter and/or just make it more fun. Subscribe to my blog so you do not miss out on cool Twitter tools, apps and resources.

Good luck!