If you are using Twitter for anything more than a hobby, be it networking with like-minded people, marketing a product, or wanting to do research on something, you need to find tools to better utilize it.
The problem is that there are currently no free solutions that are able to completely maximize your use of the social media. But we did some research and hunting for you and have five great tools that you can use and grow your influence rapidly.
Tweetdeck
Tweetdeck is the end all app that has so many parts that you cannot afford to ignore it. I endorse the desktop application of it as this is designed for optimum usage, where as some Twitter tools like Hootsuite that are built-in a browser online are significantly slower and more clunky to use. At the same time, there is support for several other networks, though nothing for Google+. If you are a power Twitter user and love to explore the many hashtags and users that could be of value, Tweetdeck is designed to be a goldmine of data for you to filter through.
I give this Twitter tool a 4 out of 5 because of the speed and plethora of data data as well as the versatility, but has quite a learning curve for new users and can be a bit cumbersome to do some of the simplest of tasks like scheduling tweets.
Bufferapp
Bufferapp is designed to do one thing and do it well. Be as effective at scheduling social media content as possible. You can setup what times you want to see scheduled tweets to go out and from then on you do not have to worry about setting those details up, simply focus on the content. There is integration for Facebook too. At the same time, there is a simple analytic tool available for the tweets you schedule through Bufferapp, though they are fairly simplistic.
I give this Twitter tool a 3 out of 5. It is very limited in its use, but it does what it is designed to do better than any other tool I know of.
Manageflitter
The best part about Manageflitter is that you can quickly find out who is not following you back and manage this well. While there is a paid portion of it, I do not even consider it because it is not worth the cost. Manageflitter is not something that you visit more than a few times a month to unfollow those that pull a bait and switch by initially following you and then unfollow you after they get you to follow them. I like to call it my “scam proof tool.”
I give this Twitter tool a 2.5 out of 5. As with Bufferapp, it is limited though you can pay for more options, but it is quick and effective at what they do offer you for free. It can quickly be replaced if a better tool comes about.
Digg Digg
This is a WordPress plugin that allows for a floating and always present social media tab on individual posts. The idea is that this toolbar will increase social networking of your blog since it is readily available to visitors. There are many different social media networks you can implement into this plugin, though the setup does take a bit of time.
I give this Twitter tool a 4 out of 5. The plugin has done what it needs to, increasing social media sharing and has a unique approach with its floating approach.
Tweet Old Post
This WordPress plugin is suppose designed to retweet old posts within a specified time period from your categories. You can set which categories to ignore as well as specific articles, giving you further control. This plugin is simple to setup and forget about, perfect for a busy social media user. This plugin may get integrated into more advanced plugins sometime in the future, but for now does the job well.
I give this Twitter tool a 3 out of 5. It is simple to use, but could be replaced by a more advanced plugin in the future.
kolby milton says
I personally love hootsuite. Its a great program. I love how you can update your twitter and facebook all from one click.
Anonymous says
I used it too, but it doesn’t differentiate itself from the competition, unlike Tweetdeck.