Tweets in 10 – Twitter Plug-ins for Your Mobile

This is the twelfth post of the TweetsIn10 series and although I’m writing about a specific topic – apps for your mobile – this post is really about something bigger: TweetsIn10 (both generally and this post specifically) is all about an efficient use of Twitter. It’s all about making Twitter an important part of your life rather than a hassle or distraction. It’s all about connecting with people rather than resenting that you have “yet another thing to do” in your day. TweetsIn10 is about making your Twitter experience fun, engaging, practical, and profitable for you while making it fun, engaging, and valuable to your audience.

One of the ways you enjoy all of those things and really “embed” Twitter into your life (instead of squeezing it into your schedule if you have the time) is by putting Twitter on your mobile and taking it with you as you go.

Why do you want to do this?

Twitter is a microblog platform. Because of that, your value to the people who are following you is only realized when you publish constant microblogs (“tweets”, in case you hadn’t figured that part out yet). Some of those microblogs can be value-added content related specifically to the industries and interests of your followers, and some of those microblogs can be you sharing a part of yourself to relate the human side of your life and business to other people. A combination of those two reasons is why you want to tweet in general… and here’s how it relates to tweeting on the go:

People who want to tweet more effectively need to find things to tweet about. And being on the go gives you material to tweet about.

“Headed to #starbucks”
“On a break from the Chamber of Commerce event”
“Waiting in line at the store”
“Waiting in line at the airport”
“Waiting in line at the bank”
“Really enjoying this sushi”
“Learning a lot from the seminar”
“I’m at the park. Anyone else nearby?”
“Stuck in traffic”
“Just landed in San Francisco”
“Great concert!”
Etc., etc.

Twitter is about connecting on several levels with your audience and this gives you a number of advantages:

• You appear a little more human with content like “great concert!”

• You seem more relatable with content like being stuck in line.

• Your network can connect with you if you end up somewhere that they are (such as the park or the San Francisco reference, above)

• You position yourself (like with the mention of the seminar or the Chamber of Commerce event).

So, how do you tweet while on the go?

The really basic way is to sign in to Twitter and go to the Devices page. This page tells you how to use your phone’s texting (SMS) function to tweet. You just send an SMS to s specific code and the content of your text contains the tweet. Be sure to read the details because your phone carrier might charge you and not every carrier supports this.

You can also install a Twitter mobile app on your phone to interface with Twitter in a more familiar way. Start at Twitter and go to the Downloads page. Here, you’ll find Twitter mobile options for the iPhone or iTouch. And, if you click through to TweetDeck or HootSuite, you’ll find apps for your phone there, too (on TweetDeck’s iPhone page and HootSuite’s iPhone page).

Another popular solution is Twitterberry (which is now called “Open Beak”) for Blackberry devices.
Just Google “Twitter mobile apps” to find more options. As Twitter grows in popularity, more and more apps will become available.

If you want to get the most of out Twitter, and if you want your audience to get the most out of it, too, then tweet on the go. Intersperse those value-added tweets by giving people glimpse into your life. You’ll be rewarded with a more connected network because of it.

Bonus Tip:  Some Basic “Tweeting on the Go” Rules

• Don’t tweet and drive

• Stop tweeting while talking face-to-face

• If you’re getting bad service at a restaurant, it’s okay to tweet it but just watch out for libel (false accusations) which are really easy to tweet in the heat of the moment

• Watch for opportunities to connect with specific Twitter users (i.e., “I just passed @Bob’s favorite bar. Are you in there right now, @Bob?”)

• Have fun

• Be real

Related posts:

1. Tweets in 10 – Tweet this! Plug-ins for Your Browser‏
2. Tweets in 10 – #Great #Idea #for #Twitter
3. Tweets in 10 – Twitterpress: Combining Twitter and WordPress10
4. Tweets in 10 – Get Connected!
5. Tweets in 10 – Spread the News, Spread the Love