Haroon Bijli

It is fairly easy to access data through Google search or even track certain keywords or phrases with the help of Google alerts, but how would we know or access keywords or topics that we didn’t know existed? And does Google search provide that latest piece of information, or the information as it existed at the time of the last indexing cycle? And wouldn’t we need to repeat our search often in order to keep ourselves updated of whatever it is that we’re tracking? 

The search and gather method can get quite painful if used extensively, especially when the easier option is available. 

Twitter: The best option to track people, topics and discussions 

Twitter (http://twitter.com) is a free microblogging service that enables users to update their friends and other connections through short messages in 140 characters or less. Twitter is one of the most widely used social networks on the Internet, and there is little need to introduce it here. However, we do think that a few tips on how to use Twitter to gain that professional edge would be appreciated. 

Before we get to that, let’s discuss a few characteristic features of Twitter. 

a) Is a broadcast tool: Most tweeters use Twitter as a broadcast tool, through which they communicate their updates to around 190 million users across the world. 

b) Has an open network: Unlike Facebook and Orkut, anybody can sign up and begin following the other users on Twitter, unless some choose to make it a protected account, wherein they approve every follower request. Most users do not protect their updates, especially those who are online with the intent of being found. 

c) Is Google-enabled: Google does index our tweets. 

d) Has an open API: An open API architecture means that developers can create websites or products that use Twitter’s functionality and data. For us, it means we can use Twitter without having to go to the website, through an array of products and applications. 

e) URL shorteners and 140 characters: While we’d need more than 140 characters to have a meaningful conversation, one can easily share URLs using widely available URL shortening services (bit.ly, tinyurl.com, twurl.com, is.gd and others). Why is this helpful? Thanks to these URLs being circulated, we don’t have to visit numerous websites and blogs to keep track of the updated content, if any. While many bloggers tweet the links after posting new content, others automate Twitter to do that. Likewise, publishers also have the option to integrate Twitter with their blogs. 

f) Is device enabled: We can tweet and receive others’ tweets while on the move (and not while driving). 

Tips for using Twitter 

a) Get your basics right. What are we looking for? Industry knowledge on B2B marketing? IT Services Marketing? Social Media? Marketing Analytics? Analyst Research? This is an important step, because we cannot search for everything in the world – or else we’d be right where we started. Based on our need, we should figure out the most apt keyword(s). Since Twitter does not search very effectively for phrases, it is best to restrict it to a single word. For example, we use “B2B” as a keyword for marketing. 

An intelligent way of getting better results is to use keywords that aren’t very obvious. For example, an IT services marketing specialist somewhere in the world is likely to be connected to ITSMA. So if we search for ITSMA, the chances of you getting usable data are far better. 

b) Get the right tools. Using the web interface is time consuming. The open API makes it possible to use other offline and online tools and applications that make Twitter fast and lightweight. 

We’ve been using Tweetdeck, a lightweight and user-friendly product based on Adobe Air. It helps us keep track of the latest happenings on Twitter through columns where we feed in various keywords. The other popular tools are Seesmic, Hootsuite, Ubertwitter, Twitterfeed, etc. 

c) Use “search” to track down the real gurus. We advise the use of keyword search for a limited period. Prolonged use will only generate more spam in the long run. Carrying forward the earlier example of ITSMA, once we get a few tweets from people talking about ITSMA we can follow them instead of continuing to track the keyword. 

d) Learn how to scan data, instead of reading through. Twitter’s steady growth and popularity has made it popular with spammers as well. We must be prepared for spam tweets when tracking a keyword. While following a person who tweets rapidly, we must also be prepared for content that may not be really relevant at all times. 

e) Patience. We may need to keep at it for a sufficient period of time to master the art of searching and following but it will be worth the while. 

f) Identify real people. If we really want insights and not news, it is best to follow real people. Following a “Forrester” or a “Guardiantech” might be a good way of getting the news; however, following real people will go a long way in providing some meaningful insights. 

g) Follow who others follow. Although we can follow people en masse using “Twitter Lists,” it isn’t always productive. 

Check out the following list, gleaned from various sources, most of whom I follow. Most of these folks are into social media and digital marketing, but then, that’s my interest area. Consider this a reward for reading this post all the way through: