My Favorite Twitter Tools

There are hundreds of Twitter tools out there, but for the “must-haves,” check out this list I shared today with a group from the Baltimore-Washington chapter of Sales and Marketing Executives International (SMEI):

Hootsuite – An at-a-glance dashboard that allows me to monitor multiple accounts as well as pre-load tweets. An alternative is Tweetdeck.

Favorites and Lists – A sometimes overlooked tool, they are on everyone’s Twitter pages. If used, favorites offer a summary of what the account holder considers valuable tweets, and lists can be a good source for finding interesting accounts to follow.

search.twitter.com - A way to target your search by keywords, location and more. Try the search terms “looking for” or “can anyone recommend” along with the type of company you represent.

Sawmill Guide to Baltimore Media on Twitter – Our comprehensive list allows you to connect with the region’s media. Click on the link on our homepage.

Tweepz - A way to search keywords on bios. You can also limit results by location, number of followers and more. Looking for “foodies” in Baltimore for your restaurant account? This is a good place to start.

We Follow – A way to find people to follow. Search tags by location or focus (music, social media, PR, etc.).

Twilert - Delivers a daily email summary of tweets that have whatever account or keywords you are tracking.

There are so many more (check out www.oneforty.com), but if you start by adding these basics to your toolkit, your Twitter experience will be much more efficient and worthwhile. What are your can’t-live-without Twitter tools?