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Brizzly Review: A Better Social Media Reader

Jeff Klein — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:05:51 +0000

People’s desire to stay connected is one reason why sites such as Twitter and Facebook are so popular. One common characteristic people share is they want that connectivity to be as simple as possible. This is where Brizzly comes in. Brizzly is a Twitter and Facebook client that provides “a simple way to experience the social web”.

A web-based social reader, Brizzly is laid out in a way that just makes sense; it has a very simple interface and the site itself runs smoothly and seamlessly. Once you create an account, it’s easy to find your way around the site. There’s even a “Getting Started” video and help section to answer most of your questions. Brizzly’s usability is not an accident. Brizzly was created by some of the same people who built Google Reader.

Here are some of Brizzly’s great features:

Twitter: Send and receive direct messages. Your direct messages are presented in a threaded conversation like format right on your main page. You can even have multiple message threads going at once. When you receive a message, you can view it or choose the “shh” option to ignore it and pull it up later.
Twitter: View images in tweets as opposed to links.
Twitter: Monitor up to five Twitter accounts.
Twitter: Create groups from your Twitter followers. Right now, you can only have 5, but Brizzly promises more in the future.
Twitter: Support for newly introduced Twitter “Lists”.
Twitter: The Mute feature allows you to hide a user’s updates until you decide you want to see them again.
Twitter: The “Trends and News” feature provides an explanation as to why terms are trending on Twitter.
Twitter: Follow and unfollow Tweeters, reply to a Tweet, repost a Tweet and save drafts.
Twitter: Search Twitter or find people to follow. You can also save your searches.
Facebook: Update your status, wall posts and comments.
Short URLs are shown in their full form on Brizzly.

Currently in closed beta, Brizzly is open to users by invitation only. You can request an invite on the Brizzly homepage or ask a friend who already has an account. Another way to “get in” is to do a Twitter search for “Brizzly invitation”.

The addition of Facebook support is a huge step forward in Brizzly’s development. No longer simply just a Twitter Reader, Brizzly is now a Social Media Reader providing a simple, more streamlined way to monitor these two leading sites. I highly suggest you check it out. Brizzly’s fantastic features will greatly enhance your social media experience.

What are some of your favorite social media applications?

This post is from Jeff Klein. Read more at his web design and internet marketing blog.

Brizzly Review: A Better Social Media Reader

Facebook to Offer Custom URLs

Jeff Klein — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:57:02 +0000

Facebook recently announced they will soon allow users to choose a username for their account. More significant is the fact that Facebook will begin using your username in your profile page URL. This essentially allows you to create a custom URL for your Facebook profile page.

A message posted on Facebook explains, “Starting at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Saturday, June 13, you’ll be able to choose a username on a first-come, first-serve basis for your profile and the Facebook Pages that you administer by visiting www.facebook.com/username/.”

The reason for the change is to “make it easier for people to find and connect with you.”

Currently Facebook uses a randomly assigned id number for profile page URLs. In my case, my profile page URL is:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=692946276

Now, my Facebook profile URL can look like this
http://www.facebook.com/jeffklein or http://www.facebook.com/jeff.klein

Custom URLs are already supported by sites such as Twitter, delicious, and MySpace so this move by Facebook is not unexpected. That said, Facebook is the largest social networking site and this move represents a significant opportunity from a personal branding standpoint. I strongly recommend you claim your username on June 13th when the new prorgam opens up.

You can learn more on the Facebook blog.

This post is from Jeff Klein. Read more at his web design and internet marketing blog.

Facebook to Offer Custom URLs

Twitter Etiquette for Businesses

Jeff Klein — Fri, 01 May 2009 21:11:51 +0000

With approximately 6 million users and 55 million monthly visits (according to Compete.com), Twitter has become one the most dominant social media websites. Because of their rapid growth, businesses have embraced social media sites such as Twitter. Developing an online presence where their users are, is a smart online marketing strategy.

Because Twitter is still evolving, businesses are still figuring out how to leverage it effectively. Each new feature brings a new opportunity for businesses to introduce their products or services. Businesses must be careful however. Just like in the offline world, there are rules and standards of behavior for social media marketing. Social media etiquette should be observed by businesses (and consumers too) so they don’t alienate their target market.

Business’ using Twitter should follow these etiquette tips:

Identify Who Is Tweeting

Is this your business’ official Twitter account? Foster trust with the community by being transparent and honest. If you specify who is doing the tweeting you will build a stronger relationship with those following you. Everyone likes to know who they are talking to.

Listen First

Twitter can be a powerful tool for identifying customer concerns or fostering dialogue. You can use the Twitter Search function to see what people are talking about in relation to your company. A better solution is to use an application like TweetDeck or Seesmic Desktop. You can create and save a search query for your company (or any topic). This allows you to continually monitor the buzz about your organization. If you find questions and comments about your business, join the conversation.

Provide Value Not Just Promotion

Why should someone follow you or your business? Give them something of value. Help others without an expectation of something in return. Share your knowledge, both from your own company but also from other sources. If all you do is link back to your own site, this will be viewed as spam and your business will be cast in a negative light.

Pay It Forward

Retweeting (RT) means taking a twitter post from someone else and forwarding (rebroadcasting) it to your followers. If you find a good tip or information, retweet it to your followers. This shows you are in touch with your market and willing to give credit to others. When tweeting yourself, it is not considered good practice to ask for retweets. This will happen naturally if others feel your information is valuable.

How does your business utilize Twitter to grow your bottom line?

This post is from Jeff Klein. Read more at his web design and internet marketing blog.

Twitter Etiquette for Businesses

Twimailer – Follow Me to Your Inbox

Jeff Klein — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:04:51 +0000

If you are a Twitter user, you really should check out Twimailer, a simple yet powerful new Twitter application. In short, Twimailer provides full details of your new followers, delivered directly to your inbox.

Typically when someone new follows you on Twitter, you receive a basic email notification with the user’s name and a link to their profile. No other information is provided as to the legitimacy of that individual or the value of the information they share. To learn more about your new follower, you have to click the email link, visit the user’s profile and decide if you want to become a follower of theirs too.

Due to Twitter’s rapid growth and viral nature, you can easily receive multiple new follower notifications every day. Clicking through to user’s profiles can quickly become a chore, especially with the recent increase in the amount of twiiter spam. If your visit to a new follower’s profile turns our to be a waste of time because they’re not who they say they are or they’re trying to get you to visit some strange site, your opinion of Twitter can quickly sour.

This is where Twimailer really shines. Instead of having to click through to the follower’s profile to decide if you want to follow them back, Twimailer gathers all their relevant information and delivers it right to your inbox. You see essentially everything on the user’s Twitter page but without having to click through to visit the Twitter site. The information in Twimailer email includes:

a list of the user’s recent tweets
the user’s name, location, website, and bio information
the number of people the user is following
the number of followers the user has

There is also a “Follow Back” link contained right in the Twimailer email. Clicking the link adds the user to your “following” list and takes you to the user’s profile page on the Twitter site.

Getting started with Twimailer is simple. First, visit the Twimailer site, twimailer.com, and enter your email address. You will receive a confirmation email with a link to verify your email account. Twimailer then provides you with a unique Twimailer email address. Replace your current Twitter email address (in your Twitter account profile) with your new Twimailer email address and you’re all set.

The third largest social networking site in the US, behind Facebook and MySpace, Twitter has approximately 6 million users and 55 million monthly visits (according to Compete.com).

Twitter is a social networking website that allows users to send and receive updates called tweets. Because these updates are text only and limited to 140 characters, Twitter is also referred to as a micro-blogging service.

I highly recommend utilizing Twimailer if you’re a Twitter user. It will save you time and aggravation in building your list of followers.

What are some Twitter tools and application you are using?

This post is from Jeff Klein. Read more at his web design and internet marketing blog.

Twimailer – Follow Me to Your Inbox

The Many Faces of Facebook

Jeff Klein — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:31:28 +0000

Facebook, the wildly popular social networking website, now has more than 175 million members. Already the most popular social networking site in several parts of the world, Compete recently reported that Facebook overtook MySpace in Unique Visitor traffic last month.

If you don’t yet have an account or page of your own, Facebook offers a number of different options. Whether you’re an individual, group, fan, or public figure, it’s easy for you to put your face on Facebook.

Profile Pages

Individuals over the age of 13 can create a profile page for themselves. Your Facebook profile is the page other members see when they search for you. It is designed to reflect you and your interests. All you need to sign up is a valid email address. During the registration process you will be asked some basic questions about where you work, where you went to school and where you live. Once answered, Facebook will generate a profile for you.

Fan Pages

Fan pages are more official in nature. According to Facebook, “only the official representative of a figure, brand, or organization is permitted to create a Facebook Page”.

As part of the fan page creation process, Facebook requires an email from an address associated with either the artist’s label or management group. They “need to make sure the person creating a fan page is an authorized representative of the artist.”

To create a Fan page, you first select your category (Local Business, a Brand or Product, or a Public Figure / Celebrity) and then enter more detailed information based on the category selected.

Fan pages are publicly accessible and as such can be indexed by external search engines.

Fan page messaging options are more limited than with Groups. Messages sent to your Fan page members appear not in their inbox but rather as notifications. There’s a separate notifications bar in the bottom right corner of your profile page.

Fan page content options are more flexible than with Groups. In addition to the familiar wall, discussion board, video and photo upload options, Fan pages also support RSS, allowing you to subscribe to a blog feed for updated content. Fan pages also offer better support of application allowing you to further customize your page’s content.

Groups

Another option for creating a Facebook presence is a Facebook Group. According to Facebook, “If a user isn’t an authorized representative of an artist and they would like to create a space for fans of a certain figure to share their thoughts and opinions, we suggest they create a Facebook Group.”

Facebook Groups are generally easier to set up than Fan Pages. You choose a Group name, a Category and Sub-Category types. Then add a brief description of your Group and you’re basically done.

Advantages of Groups include better messaging options and privacy controls. Groups allow you to send messages directly to your members’ Facebook inboxes as well as send out bulk invitations to prospective Group members.

While not offering as much support for applications as Pages, Groups offer better privacy controls. Groups can only be seen by registered users and can even be set to private for members only viewing.

The main disadvantage to Facebook Groups is in content creation. Posting photos, stories, or videos, all must be done manually. Groups also do not support RSS feeds if you wanted to syndicate content from your blog or other external source.

What types of pages have you created on Facebook?

This post is from Jeff Klein. Read more at his web design and internet marketing blog.

The Many Faces of Facebook