Okay, so I’m totally late this week. I’m still tired from December, I think.
So anyway, I got teased endlessly by my family over the title of the first part of this post. I must admit that I stole the “Pimp My . . .” from my sisters who were thinking up advertising slogans for a family business (heating and air conditioning) and although “Pimp My Furnace” is much catchier, I stole it for my purposes. Hey, what can I say? My sisters are geniuses. 
So last time we talked about creating a custom background, using Twitter Karma, and adding a Twitter feed to your blog. This time, I’ve got a list of Twitter tools you need to use to keep up with this very fast-moving social media tool. (Seriously, don’t ignore the Twitter mania or you’ll be left behind!).
1. Utilize Twhirl or Tweetdeck to keep up with many Twitter conversations at once. Unfortunately, due to a computer conversion, I can no longer use any of the Adobe Air-based programs. So, take advantage of my loss and use it for yourself!
2. Remember to monitor your replies tab to find out who’s talking to you and what others are talking about. If you are not looking at your replies tab, you’re missing out on most of the opportunity on Twitter. Monitor this often and utilize several freeware programs to help you. The Twitter search engines Summize, Tweetscan, and Tweetbeep will search for your company name, product name, or other terms.
3. Set up automated Tweets so you’re not having to stay in front of your computer 24/7. Use Twittermail and LetterMeLater or TweetLater to send messages to your followers at specific times whenever you want to. Make sure you test these messages before you send them out, because sometimes functionality fails, but I’ve had a lot of luck doing this. Helped me to be more productive for sure!
4. Don’t take things too seriously; keep it light and have fun. Many people will get offended by a simple joke they take personally, or won’t understand the direct messages coming from complete strangers. You’ve got to be able to have a thick enough skin to enjoy feedback and you’ve got to be able to dish a little, remembering that others may not be as thick-skinned as you are. Enjoy yourself and be authentically you.
5. Use Twitter as a way to propel yourself forward toward your goals. Many people on my Twitter are people I wish to emulate, and I follow them to find out what they do on a daily basis to become successful. That alone is a great reason to pimp your Twitter and use it to get farther in 2009 then you planned for. My 2008 was a banner year and only because of the encouragement of others that I COULD do it. So I did it. Twitter is that sort of tool. I call it my success channel. Is it yours?
