Twitter How To Make The Most of Tweetdeck to Improve Your Twitter Experience and Productivity. (part 2)
Did you try the twitter how to on Tweetdeck groups that I showed you in part 1 of this mini series?
If you did you should have already seen how much better twitter can be when you know how to use the right tools, the right way.
Now for part 2 of this twitter how to mini series and today I want to show you just how brilliant the search feature with in Tweetdeck is. Actually to describe it as one feature is to totaly undervalue this neat multi-tool for twitter.
First up, the basics.
Why is this search function so powerful then?
Because if you want to get involved with a twitter conversation(s) on a specific topic, product, tweep or event you simply run a search for this interest and Tweetdeck will fetch all relevant tweets into a new column. Yes twitter search also does this but remember you now have these topic based conversations seperate but right next to your group columns allowing you to easily watch and interact with both from one interface. This is a great way for us tweeps to find the coversations we really want to tweet about whilst keeping an eye on the tweeps we like to follow in a group column.
The search function is supremely powerful for casual tweeps,advertisers and business users alike for a number of reasons. Here is how to get a search column up and running.
This will open up a search box for you to enter your search term and hit enter.
Thats it!
Tweetdeck will now continue to fetch all tweets that match your search terms into the column titled with the term you entered.
So what should we search for and how do these searches keep us on top of our niche with no effort at all?
Easy, using the following ways to get the most from the search facility you can blow your followers away! (in a good no, great way)
1. Straight up helping other tweeps. Start by entering a question or term into the search that relates to your niche and that tweeps may be asking for help with. (Hint~ pick some thing you have the answer to, or can provide a link that will help solve this question)
2. Keeping your eye on the ball. I use this search to find what others are saying about me, and follow any @replies directed to me. I simply enter twittergator into the search box and Tweetdeck opens and continually updates a column with any tweets mentioning twittergator also catching any @replies (tweets that start with @twittergator). This means I never miss what you are saying about me and can quickly become involved in that conversation. (Hint~ having this search column open means you can lose the @replies column, freeing up vital column space and allowing you to tune your API % setting accordingly (I will explaine tweaking your API in part 3)) You could use your products name or your web sites name instead of/aswell as your twitter name, this is a great way to provide pro-active customer service.
3. Conversations. Well it is what twitter is there for. If you want to keep up with one particular conversation use a search column. This works extremely well with hash-taged (#) subjects and events.
4. Market research. Simular to the help other tweeps search, I actually do this to find what twitter how to blog post you tweeps have a need for right now. Search for your niche or interest and let the twitterverse guide you on what they really need from you in your niche. It is like getting a market research survey done for free!
5. Promoting yourself or product. Again not unlike the helping other tweeps search. With this one I search for tweets asking for help on something I know my blog has the solution to, instead of helping directly on twitter I will tweet something like ‘@user that is a great question that many tweeps are asking. Thats why I have found a solution, you can check it out here www.linktorelevantblogpost ‘(use the link shortner) Now with self-promotion or promotion of somebody elses product or web site (But especially self-promotion) you must be careful not to over do it. Nobody likes a twammer (twitter spammer) and you will just get a bunch of unfollows. How ever, stay relevant and add value through your links and you will soon increase your twitter status to the top of your niche.
6. Twitscoop and 12 seconds. Look for the little bird and the number ‘12′ in the top left option buttons. Clicking Twitscoop will bring up a column with the hot words on twitter right now, superb if you want to keep up with the latest buzz on twitter. Clicking will give you a log in box for your 12 second video account. I am researching video and picture posting to twitter for a future twitter how to post, so stay tuned to find out if this is the best video on twitter option.
7. Favourites. The heart shaped picture in the top left option buttons. Because I have my following tweeps organised as seen in the twitter how to part 1 (groups) I have and neither should you have any need for this search. The groups way I showed you is ten times more effective!
8. Questions? Last and most definately not least (in fact really important). If you want some advice or have a question, ask it in a search. Nine times out of ten you will find what you are looking for or at least discover a tweep who can help you. Remember, just ask.
The only question I can think of at the mo’ that you might have left is, how do you watch and all these searches at once let alone interact and tweet back in all columns?
Simple answer I don’t!
Here is the breakdown of the columns I normally have running on Tweetdeck;
Starting far left,
My top priority group column.
Next is my secondary group column.
Followed by my DM (direct message) column.
Fourth along I have my ‘keeping your eye on the ball’ column.
And finally my far right column is my workspace, here I use one of the described search methods to help fellow tweeps with twitter how to questions or research and promote my blog/brand by giving valuable how to info and links.
Now you know how to use Tweetdeck search columns to turbo charge your tweeting habits, add this to what you learnt in part 1 (groups) and you will find yourself not only seeing more of the important tweets you have been missing but also you will be able to get involved like never before. This will without doubt help you spread your message (what ever it may be) and gain more interested followers, yet tweets you are wanting to see will still cut through the noise like a hot blade.
Please, if you have any questions or anything to add to this twitter how to, leave your comments or catch me on the twitter @twittergator.
If you still are missing out on the most awesome twitter client that is Tweetdeck go get it here.
Part 3 of the twitter how to make the most of tweetdeck to improve your twitter experience and productivity, will be looking at the final more advance features and theories of using Tweetdeck. If you love Tweetdeck like I do, you are going to love this next twitter how to.
Thanks for these tips. I started using TweetDeck today specifically for the GROUPS feature. What I find lacking is the ability to save/store your views to transfer it to another PC as I move btw 2-4 machines several times a week. That and not being able to monitor more than one twitter account makes TweetDeck fall just short of the perfect twitter app. I’m dreaming of a TweekDeck – Twhirl hybrid LOL. Hopefully, your next blog on “advanced” features will offer some work arounds to those 2 issues.
Where’s the third installment? Parts 1 and 2 still work for the current version, but are you going to update them anyway?
This tutorial needs to be updated for the new version 0.32.1 which has gone completely difference. Also I wish Tweetdeck would provide a search box in the top menu bar (or bottom) which would allow you to simply search from the main page and add a column automatically instead on an extra button step to add a column — which has now been changed from your previously published tutorial as there is no longer a “Search” button like in your diagram but “Add Column” button from where you have to search. Very dumb.
Thanks for the sharp eye Tom,
Yes, as this was wrote some monthes ago now and with the speed at which Twitter clients evolve, the screen shots and the particular instruction you mentioned is a little out of date. How ever the principles and basic techniques are still the same. Part three has never been posted because of this exact reason! (Lesson learnt, when blogging about Twitter apps avoid long series format
)