2009 was, without doubt, the year of Twitter. Whether it was the massive hacker attacks that created a massive Twitter outage and reminded us of how Twitter has now become an important part of our lives, the interest in both Fortune 500 companies as well as small businesses to utilize Twitter as part of their social media
I expect Twitter to continue to transform itself into a more useful platform for both businesses and professionals to use in 2010. But there were many excellent blog posts from 2009 that we can still utilize well into the new year. Let’s take a look back at the greatest Twitter blog posts of 2009.
As with my similar Top 25 Most Useful LinkedIn Blog Posts of 2009, I used a number of factors when considering which were the best blog posts to recommend to you all. Within each section I have ordered the listing in descending order by most retweets on Twitter at the time of this post, which are indicated in brackets. Warning: Those with the most tweets were those listed on Mashable, which in itself guarantees the post will get a LOT of retweets. So don’t let that scare you into not reading some of the posts that got fewer tweets, as they are of comparable quality.
I tried to limit this blog post to the same 25 that I did for LinkedIn, but considering that a lot of people still don’t “get” Twitter, I thought it was important to add some excellent blog posts which give background on why you should tweet as well as some great posts for Twitter beginners. Thus, my Top 25 became a Top 35 list.
On a final note, I also contributed 19 Twitter-related blog posts in 2009, so I have taken the liberty to also sprinkle the below list with top suggestions from my own Twitter blog posts for your reference where appropriate.
Need a Reason to Tweet?
How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live by Stephen Johnson [4,921]
If you’re still on the sidelines about Twitter, please read this classic article from Time Magazine. The article begins with the same sort of skepticism that we all had before embracing Twitter, and it ends on a very uplifting note. Highly recommended.
9 Ways Twitter Can Help in the Real World by Amanda MacArthur [72]
Are you still looking for a reason to use Twitter? This clever piece gives you nine different examples of how you can start using Twitter.
How Twitter Was Born by Dom Sagolla [?]
This is an excerpt from the book of the same name. Perhaps by understanding the history of Twitter you can gain some insight as to why you may want to use it. This is a fascinating piece of history and an excellent read to get a deeper understanding of Twitter’s roots.
How to Use Twitter to Build Intelligence by Vanessa Miemis [?]
A brilliant article which starts out with the question What is Twitter? and slowly creates a masterpiece of an explanation of how Twitter can be utilized strategically once you have an objective. If you are in doubt as to why use Twitter to begin with, please read this article!
Twitter for Beginners
10 Ways to be Useful on Twitter by Ryan Miller [1,958]
While providing basic advice on Twitter etiquette, I enjoy the positive spin on social networking that the article provides.
Top 10 Twitter Tips for Beginners by Sean Ludwig [?]
A very basic introduction to get you started on Twitter. Only for beginners but an easy read.
8 Useful Tips to Become Successful with Twitter by Paul Boag [?]
Good advice for beginners to ramp-up quickly.
Top 7 Mistakes New Twitter Users Make by Mark S. Luckie [?]
As you ramp up, make sure that you don’t make any of these newbie Twitter mistakes!
(I also wrote a Twitter Tip #1 for Beginners: Follow Lists Before You Follow People [52] which accompanied my Twitter 101 with 7 Useful Tips for Those Getting Started on Twitter [44] blog post, both of which I recommend for beginners.)
Growing and Managing Your Twitter Followers
Ten Ways to Increase Your Twitter Followers by Kevin Rose [2,319]
The co-founder of Digg speaks out with great advice on how to increase the number of Twitter followers.
10 Twitter Tools to Organize Your Tweeps by
Excellent collection of 3rd party sites to help you organize your followers.
47 Twitter Power Users’ Secrets to Getting Many Followers by Jacob Share [514]
Excellent article comprised of advice from a wide variety of social media rockstars including Dan Schawbel,
9 Twitter Directories You Should be Listed On by Jayson Yormark [167]
A concise post with a good list of the top Twitter directories. One strategy to increase your Twitter followers is to get found, and making sure you are listed on these Twitter directories will help you do so.
27 Twitter Tools To Help You Find And Manage Followers by Dainis Graveris [?]
A great list of sites to help you find and manage followers. Great resource to help navigate what is possible using 3rd party services.
(I also wrote a blog post on Twitter Followers vs. Following: What is the Ideal Ratio? [19] as well as HOW TO: Find Relevant New People to Follow on Twitter [16] that I recommend here.)
Intermediate Twitter Tips and Advice
HOW TO: Use Twitter Lists by Josh Catone [3,399]
Twitter Lists have changed the way in which we use Twitter. This article is a great primer on the potential for Twitter Lists.
HOW TO: Retweet on Twitter by Ben Parr [2,927]
The Retweet seems so simple but actually has significant meaning. Learn not only how to Retweet from this article, but also about the existence of a few applications to help you track your Retweets.
HOW TO: Get the Most Out of Twitter #Hashtags by Ben Parr [2,184]
I often get asked about Hashtags at every Twitter seminar that I run, and I believe that this article explains their use (and potential misuse) best.
How I Tweet by
You knew that Guy Kawasaki would make it on to every social media-related list, and this time it is no different. This article is a classic in that it shows, in very authentic and transparent terms, how one Twitter Pro actually goes through his own Twitter work flow. Read and learn!
10 Organizational Uses for Twitter Lists by Maddie Grant [133]
With Twitter Lists, you need to think outside of the box. This article gives us some great ideas about how we can begin to utilize Twitter Lists to accomplish several different things.
Twitter Direct Messages – Best (and Worst) Practices by Kristi Hines [121]
A great look at the art of the Twitter Direct Message, looking at many examples. A must read if you are automating your Direct Messages to everyone that follows you.
(I also wrote a piece on utilizing Twitter Lists that I recommend here: 4 Great Ways to Use the New Twitter Lists [128] as well as a piece on my pet peeve: Should I Send Automated Direct Messages on Twitter? [19].)
Advanced Twitter Tips and Advice
25 Twitter Apps to Manage Multiple Accounts by Jennifer Van Grove [1,573]
If you have multiple Twitter accounts you are already an advanced Twitter user. You also realize the limitations of the Twitter.com user interface and why you need to use a 3rd party application to manage multiple profiles. This Mashable article provides a great run-down of the options you have to manage multiple Twitter accounts.
Tweeting from the Web? Nine Alternative Web Clients by Orli Yakuel [1,034]
If you are a heavy Tweeter often sharing information from various sources, chances are you are tweeting directly from the Web and not going back to Twitter.com and cutting and pasting. If this is the case, check out this comparison of nine different web clients to help you better manage Twitter.
15 Free Services to Schedule Tweets on Twitter by Malvinder Virdi [113]
Sometimes we want to be there when we’re not. You know, I mean scheduling tweets to occur throughout the day instead of bombarding our followers with multiple tweets at once. We may already be using a service like HootSuite to accomplish this, but you should know about all of the alternatives that exist and pick the best one for you.
The Best Twitter Apps for Your Mobile Phone by Amit Agarwal [?]
You don’t have to tweet on a cell phone, but should be at a stage where you really can’t live without Twitter wherever you are, check out this definitive post on all of the Twitter applications that are available for your mobile phone.
Twitter and Personal Branding
HOW TO: Build Your Personal Brand on Twitter by Dan Schawbel [1,569]
Just as with my LinkedIn list, Dan Schawbel earns a spot on this Twitter list for his excellent article on personal branding and Twitter.
(While not a piece solely on personal branding, I did write on How to Use Twitter for Your Job Search [33] which I recommend you read as well.)
Twitter Background Designing
Twitter Background Design How-To and Best Practices by Chris Spooner [1,267]
You can’t have a Twitter list complete without something regarding those background images that occupy our profile pages and thus represent a vital part of how we are “branded” on Twitter. I particularly like this article because it goes through both best practices as well as a hand-holding, step-by-step tutorial on how to create a Twitter background using Photoshop. Excellent read.
Effective Twitter Backgrounds: Examples and Current Practices by Saud Kahn [?]
This article gives loads of examples as well as advice to help you design your own Twitter background. Just looking at the examples should spark your creative juices into creating something new for yourself.
Unique and Insightful Twitter Articles
The Art of Writing Great Twitter Headlines by Brian Clark [1,727]
If you want to get noticed on Twitter, you only have 140 characters in which to do so. Writing an effective headline for whatever you want to say becomes a necessity, and this article gives us some classic advice on the subject.
5 Ways to Get Your Questions Answered on Twitter by Stan Schroeder [1,288]
Twitter is a channel for both information as well as communication. Many people ask many questions on Twitter because it is the perfect hybrid channel for doing so. If you really want to ensure that your questions get answered, read this great article.
How to Use Twitter Without Twitter Owning You – 5 Tips by Tim Ferriss [?]
Tim Ferriss, the author of the 4-Hour Workweek, gives us tips on how to best optimize our time on Twitter. A must-read for every heavy Twitter user.
(If you’re reading this far down the list, I am assuming that you are a confident Twitter user. At this juncture, you may want to make sure that you are not in violation of any of Twitter’s rules. Read my 6 Reasons Why Your Twitter Account May Be Restricted (Without Your Knowing It) [15] blog post to make sure.
Twitter for Business
40 of the Best Twitter Brands and the People Behind Them by Jennifer van Grove [1,194]
An excellent look into the people that tweet behind some of the most famous brands on Twitter. Great examples for companies to learn by.
62 Ways to Use Twitter for Business by Meryl Evans [1,171]
A concise list with a lot of ideas on how businesses can use Twitter.
Twitter Success: You Gotta Show Up by Jennifer Horowitz [169]
Excellent article on how businesses can and should be utilizing Twitter. The author hand-holds the reader through every important aspect of Tweeting. A must read for businesses as well as any professional!
(See my post on Twitter Coming to a Store Near You…SOON! [18] for a further perspective on Twitter’s emergence in B2C marketing.)
Twitter Tips, Tools and Applications Compilations
The Ultimate Guide for Everything Twitter by Angela West [3,201]
An encyclopedic guide to Twitter. Great reference to complement this blog post.
The Top 21 Twitter Applications – According to Compete by Leena Rao [972]
Sure, there are loads of Twitter tools out there (probably hundreds of them), but which are the most popular and thus be those that you look into? This is a list of the top 21 Twitter applications as ranked in terms of web hits by Compete.com.
99 Essential Twitter Tools and Applications by Paul Andrew [?]
A definitive compilation of the many 3rd party Twitter tools and applications that exist.
Just reading through all of these blog posts alone may take you until February! In the meantime, are there any others that you recommend for this list? Please speak up!
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