If you’re like the vast majority of Twitter users and only using the default twitter.com to manage your tweets, you’re missing out on some excellent web apps that will help you organize Twitter better and be more productive. Time for you to take it to the next level.
Twitter web apps have come a long way this year and are only getting better. Create groups of friends, set up keyword searches to find new and interesting people, manage multiple accounts and sort all of this information across columns and tabs. Here are a few great web-based apps that you can access from any computer – no download required.
- HootSuite is one of the apps I use on a daily basis and an excellent all-around Twitter tool. The multi-column, multi-tab interface is great for organizing different keyword searches and dragging and dropping friends into groups. A built-in URL shortener called ow.ly gives you integrated click stats and integration with ping.fm allows you to update all of your social networking profiles at once. For business tweeting, you can manage multiple accounts and schedule tweets for later.
- CoTweet, although designed for businesses tweeting and has wonderful support for multiple accounts, is also great for individual accounts because of its incredible simplicity. I love the profile view that quickly pulls together a person’s bio information, whether or not you’re following the person, conversations you’ve had together and recent updates. Mentions and direct messages can be archived so you’re only seeing the newest tweets. Another welcome feature is the integration of bit.ly – enter the API key associated with your bit.ly account and enjoy seamless URL shortening and analytics.
- Brizzly is the new Twitter web app on the block that has a clean web interface, a chat-like direct message box, support for groups and multiple search capabilities. You can add pictures easily from your hard drive and watch as both pictures and videos appear right inside your Twitter stream. Another simple feature I like about this app is the “why?” link next to trending topics on the right side, answering the question everybody asks when a topic like #moonfruit shows up one day. I just started playing with this app a couple days ago, but so far I’ve found it to be great for consuming tweets rather than sharing them (as my friend @adamap explained to me). To try Brizzly out, use this invite code or ask me for an invite in the comments section below.
- Seesmic Web is a lite version of the popular Seesmic desktop app. I don’t often use Seesmic Web, but if you’re looking for a crazy simple tool for managing Twitter, look no further. The design is minimalistic with a user-friendly interface that is perfect for new users.
What’s your favorite Twitter web app and why? Let me know in the comments!
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