While in the process of writing the new Twitter training lab documentation (coming soon!), I’ve been playing around with some of the more advanced components of Twitter. Here are a few of my favorites:
Twitter Advanced Search
This easy-to-use web based form allows you to really hone your search. You can search within specific date ranges, search tweets by or references to specific people, search retweets, etc. One interesting feature is the ability to filter by location. This piece is bound to grow more powerful as users see the value in geo-targeting themselves and their tweets, and as location-based services like Gowala and Foursquare continue to gain traction.
One of my favorite features is the ability to filter based on “attitude”, tweets that use smiley faces, frowns or question marks. This is nowhere near as thorough a view as offered by products like Consumer Base that really study and interpret the language of tweets, but it’s a pretty decent tools for the average user.
If you prefer to write your search queries yourself in the twitter search box, the Twitter Advanced Search Operators are for you. These operators reflect the same filters as the advanced search interface, but without all that annoying ease-of-use. If you write queries regularly, this may actually be faster for you. It’s syntax-tic! Moving on…
Search Widget
I love this one. Use the interface to define your search query, title and caption, test it right there, then finish and grab code. Voila! You can a display a custom stream of tweets related to whatever you choose right on your page or blog.
For example, say you run a blog called SchnauzersRock.com, because you love Schnauzers. (No, I don’t love Schnauzers, we’re talking about YOU). You could search for Schnauzers, love, I love Schnauzers. Then add a title and caption and…
Paste the code right on your site for non-stop Schnauzer love.
Or course these tools offer compelling listening tools for your business, even if it is not Schnauzer-related. Use advanced search to find people worth following, use the search widget to create a real time view into conversations that are, and aren’t, happening around your industry right now and share with your readers.
How are you using these tools to gain insight into your business?
