SHOW NOTES:
Lisa Sicard is back to talk about Twitter tips for business and this time we talk tools.
We first touch on the IFTTT (if this then that) tool and the dangers of using some automation tools on Twitter with the vagueness of their rules. Lisa is taking a skeptical approach rather than chance a Twitter suspension. And we also talk at the beginning of using the IFTTT tool to share to Twitter from Instagram with an image for much better engagement.
And on that note of remembering to create visually engaging tweets, we are trying to figure out whether sharing YouTube or Vimeo videos automatically share the video and not just a link. It seems there are instances when only a link displays and we want to make sure videos are shown. Check for yourself when sharing videos and consider some of the factors we talk about in the show if you (like me) have any issues.
Vimeo is a great place to host your videos because you can eliminate commercials from popping in, and it embeds your video easily on websites or on social. You can also customize your Vimeo player and Lisa mentions that Donna Merrill also recommends Vimeo.
Real People Not Bots
One of the most important reasons Lisa talks about follow and unfollow tools for Twitter is because you want to have real followers and not bots. The quality of your followers and who you follow is far more important than the number of followers you have. Getting to know people on Twitter is how you get collaborations and business and many other good experiences, as well.
Tweetsmap is the first tool Lisa talks about to help you keep track of and clear folks from your feed who unfollow you or appear to be spammers or bots. This is a free tool.
Remember to follow people who fit your topics and interests and align with your business purposes.
But Lisa’s favorite tool which helps with this issue and does oh so much more is Agorapulse, which Lisa covers at a few points throughout this podcast segment. (Support Lisa by picking up Agorapulse using the links in this post…Lisa’s affiliate link, giving her a commission if you click and buy the service, but at NO ADDITIONAL COST to you.)
Agorapulse is a powerful social media scheduling tool but also gives you comprehensive analytics and reports. Handle multiple clients from an easy dashboard. Plus you get easy engagement functionality all from one place.
For social media professionals like Lisa, Agorapulse is THE go-to tool. Plus it makes you look really good to clients if you want to try it out. Lisa also gushes a little about the ease-of-use for a team or assistant and all from mobile, even!
Automation And Rules
One way to make sure you follow the Twitter rules is to customize tweets by changing the image and/or messaging when you share. You can set up variations though, even when using automation services.
Automation is helpful for keeping your feeds fresh and engaging. Not only a curation tool but also to distribute Evergreen content over time, using tools like Buffer, for example. Lisa points out that Buffer allows you to schedule directly from RSS feeds.
Side Note: Some of your best content may take time to gain momentum so promoting and distributing is key.
Hat tip to Gail Gardner from GrowMap for sharing another social scheduling tool called DLVR with Lisa! This also has an RSS scheduling feature.
So you don’t miss a social mention, Brand24 is the tool for that, says Lisa. It helps you catch things you may never know about and Lisa loves this one. But, she mentions there are all kinds of tools out there, so try things till you decide what you like most.
Notice Your Twitter Analytics
Twitter Analytics is found within Twitter itself and helps you understand your audience better. It also tells you how you are doing and helps guide your way forward by what you learn by reviewing. Take a look on a monthly basis, Lisa suggests, so you don’t get too hung up on worrying.
It takes time to build your Twitter’s effectiveness so make sure you give yourself time to test and learn as you go. Also, know that you have to be present in Twitter interactions for your best results.
In the next episode of Thriving Full Throttle on Social Media with Lisa Sicard, we are going to take a closer look at tools on Twitter. With recent changes, this is going to be quite interesting and with Lisa on board, prepare to learn more and have fun, too.
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Sue-Ann Bubacz is a digital content strategist and writer/editor who works with best-selling authors, media personalities, and prominent artists to enhance their communication, elevate their influence, and transform their creative vision into tangible business results.