This debate continues to rage and will continue for a while yet.
Do you automate some of your messages on Twitter or not? How much automation should you be using, if any at all?
There are essentially three camps.
- Yes, Why Not
- Absolutely Not
- Sometimes
Twitter is great for promotion, whether it be of your own posts,other bloggers content, or information at other websites whether that be a post, video or a link to content in all its different mediums.
Twitter runs on several channels such as:
- The general stream or public stream for all to see
- The DM (Direct Message) channel – only between 2 people on the private channel
- The @stream or RT that still is public but is collected in that persons feed
- # for aggregating Twitter updates at one location whether it be for an event or a hot topic or a sector
I use the public stream of Twitter for a broadcasting marketing tool for my blog posts both current and past as well as other bloggers posts that I think are worth Tweeting. I also use it for communicating in public where appropriate.
The tool I use to automate the distribution of my posts is socialoomph.com (previously known as tweetlater.com) which allows me to automate two functions.
- Auto follow – where I just say “Thanks for following me, I look forward to following your tweets” which appears in the DM of the follower.
- Auto scheduling – for distributing my blog posts headlines and links so that it can be seen in the public Twitter stream while I work and sleep
Another tool I use is twitterfeed.com where I can automate sending out other bloggers new posts that I know always deliver top content in the social media space whenever they post a new blog post.
So what are the views of some other top bloggers?
Guy Kawasaki’s take on this topic is essentially that Twitter is a great marketing tool and should be used as such. In a post “What Do You Use Twitter For? New Twitter Power Poll Survey” I quoted a recent interview of Guy’s comments (who is one of the top “Non Celebrity” users of Twitter).
Question: ”You currently have over 160,000 followers on Twitter (@guykawasaki) and are one of the top 5 users according to Twitter Grader (wow!). In what ways do you use and derive the most value from Twitter? What advice can you give marketers starting out on Twitter to inspire them that it’s worth investing their time?”
Answer: “Not everyone agrees with my use of Twitter. I approach it as a broadcast marketing tool to help me make Alltop successful. There is no right or wrong with Twitter. Like other large platforms, it’s a tool.”
Rober Scobelizer has another view in a recent post titled “Yo @chrisbrogan you’re doing Twitter wrong” where he discusses Chris Brogans use of Twitter and says
“So, Brogan, can you do the same thing? Give me JUST YOU in one feed and all your conversations in another (I do like that too).”
John Haydon put out a video post post titled “Twitter Techniques I Shouldn’t Be Showing You” that offers another aspect on this topic.
So what is your view? “Vote Now” Have your say.
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