Shooting holes in the dark trying to find the Social Solution

Recently I was asked to compare a few of the current Twitter client applications on the Social Web.  Of course there are several blog reviews about each of these applications on sites like Social Media Today, Mashable, and others.  The point of my post is to specifically look through the lens of which client application provides the most features related to SocialCRM (Social Customer Relationship Management).  There are five free multi Twitter account client application contenders in this space: CoTweet, HootSuite, PeopleBrowsr, Seesmic, and Tweetdeck.

CoTweet is a solid and simple web-based solution with scheduling features, but currently cannot link to any other social channels such as Facebook or Linkedin.  You can assign Twitter followers to other CoTweet users which would be useful in a customer service environment.  There is an area to add notes on a specific Twitter profile as well as view number of followers/following and previous conversations.  Two small features missing are the capabilities to mark Twitter profile as VIP, or linking identified Twitter profiles to Plaxo.  CoTweet users can sync a Bit.ly account for tracking Tweet click throughs, but that is as far as it goes with regards to tweet analytics.

HootSuite also a web-based solution multi Twitter account client application.  HootSuite offers Twitter and Facebook update sync through Ping.fm (this can feed other social channels if you wish) and you can schedule tweets for both channels.  However, the URL shortner Ow.ly has some resistance in the Social Web community because of the annoying banner across the page when visitors click through.  The benefit to HootSuite Ow.ly URL shortener provides click through analytics within the application.  Similar missing features as in CoTweet is the ability to add notes, mark as VIP contact, or link to other social media networks.

PeopleBrowsr is a power house application on Adobe AIR or as a web-based application.  Don’t bother with the AIR app: stick with the Browser version.  In Business mode, users can click on a Twitter avatar in the tweet stream and select from various activity functions such as Follow, Favorite, Group, Note, VIP, Email, Plaxo, and Rate.  PeopleBrowsr provides users the ability to schedule tweets for multiple social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Plaxo and FriendFeed just to name a few.  This multiple social network feed is something that no other social client application can do. The only drawback to PeopleBrowsr is that they have the Twitter API on their server which results in a slight lag in the update columns, however users have a small chance of reaching the 150 API limit on PeopleBrowsr causing application crash.  (Note: When scheduling tweets to Twitter and Facebook, the associated Facebook account will automatically update where as the Twitter tweet will go out as scheduled.)

Seesmic is a leader in the Adobe AIR and web-based client applications, but still lacks the fundamental elements needed in a Social CRM tool.  The most recent update has caused many users to go back to TweetDeck.  I have had several friends report that it crashes more often than before the update. Seesmic will address these issues in their next update.  Seesmic and TweetDeck both offer iPhone applications for mobile users.

TweetDeck is on top of the Twitter client AIR applications right now and is one of my favorites.  Many people don’t realize that it offers multiple account management as well as a Facebook integration.  Keyword searches and unlimited tabs can be useful in tracking brand mentions.  Unfortunately, TweetDeck doesn’t offer tweet scheduling, notes, or tweet rating capabilities.

My goal was to outline the pros and cons of some of the free Twitter client applications available for individuals, small business, and non-profits.  Leveraging the information contained in the real-time social streams is a valuable asset to small businesses.  Listening for mentions of your own brand as well as that of your competitor is a best practice of business growth 2010.  Stop shooting in the dark. There is an application that’s right for your business.  What is the most important Twitter client application feature that suits your needs?

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