Interview With Social Media Exerpt, Entrepreneur, and Author, Manny Hernandez
Interview Date: October 20, 2009
WIB: Let's talk about Twitter's interface.
MH: Twitter's user interface is easy to use when replying to messages but in other ways it is limited.
Two other applications you can use to manage your Twitter accounts are HootSuite and TweetDeck.
WIB: Which one do you find more useful?
MH: They are fairly comparable in terms of what you can do with both applications, and I use both. However, HootSuite has the advantage of being able to be accessed online; TweetDeck is a separate application that cannot be used in a browser.
HootSuite allows you to set up multiple user access to the same account. This can be helpful if you have more than one person Tweeting through one account.
You can also use it to schedule Tweets and see data about your followers and people who mention you as well as view direct messages at a glance.
If you use FireFox, you might consider downloading Twitter Bar. [The TwitterBar add on allows you to post to Twitter from Firefox's address bar.]
WIB: How does HootSuite handle URLs?
MH: Twitter only allows you to post 140 characters in a Tweet. This includes hyperlink URLs. You can reduce the size of the URL in HootSuite by typing the regular full URL and then clicking "Shrink It." This will reduce the number of characters in the URL so you have more to use in your message.
It is okay to abbreviate in your messages to get more information in. For example, you can use "+" instead of typing out the word "and."
WIB: Manny, thank you so much for such a great interview and for sharing so many tips. How can people keep up-to-date on your books, seminars, and activities?
MH: I am happy to help other business professionals. To keep up-to-date, just follow me on Twitter!
Follow Manny Hernandez: You can follow Manny on Twitter at twitter.com/askmanny or visit his bilingual blog to get more tips on social media and online community building strategies.
More From Manny Hernandez
- Twitter Tips and Best Practices - Part 1: How to Follow People on Twitter to Build Your Business Network
- Twitter Tips and Best Practices – Part 2: Beginning Twitter Tips and Etiquette
About Manny Hernandez: Mr. Hernandez is widely recognized expert in social media and community building. A successful entrepreneur, he is the founder of estudiabetes.com and tudiabetes.com, and co-founder and president of a global nonprofit, Diabetes Hands Foundation.
Mr. Hernandez is the author of "Ning for Dummies" and contributing author of a soon-to-be-released book on Twitter called, "Twitter for Dummies."
