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Control & Promote Positive Brand Mentions on Twitter: Custom Timelines, Lists and Favorites

Later last year Twitter added custom timelines. The feature is not very obvious though because the only way to create a custom timeline is the desktop Twitter app called Tweetdeck.

Twitter custom timeline

First the basics:

  • Custom Twitter timelines are not self-updating (unlike Twitter lists and Favorites)
  • You cannot follow a Twitter timeline (Unlike with Twitter lists)
  • You can embed a custom timeline (similar you can embed a separate Tweet)
In other words:
Custom Twitter Timeline Twitter List Twitter Favorites

You can create multiple separate pages based on the topic

 Yes Yes No

Self-update in real time

 No* Yes Yes

You can “follow” like you would follow a Twitter user

 

 

 No Yes No

You can turn into an RSS feed

 

 

 No Yes Yes

You can embed like you would embed a separate Tweet

 

 

 Yes No No

Collect and Publicize Positive Feedback about Your Brand

Here’s the big truth:

  • Yes, tweets are user-generated
  • Yes, you can still control the message by picking what you like using the three official Twitter curation methods!

I’ll repeat this: The beauty of the three is that you can publicize the best of the best of your brand mentions while still being “believable” (Saying only part of the truth is not lying!)

Ideas!

Best Way to Use Twitter Custom Timeline for Publicizing Your Positive Brand Mentions

Note the * in the chart above: The fact that custom timelines are NOT self-updating makes them the most controlled curation tool of all three. You are able to actually approve anything you are posting there.

IdeaCollect your product / tool positive mentions and embed the timeline to your testimonials page. Mind that you can also link to your timelines to give them more visibility.

Here’s a quick custom timeline showing happy users of SEOchat tools:


Best Way to Use Twitter Lists for Adding Positive Brand Context

IdeaAdd your official team members in one Twitter list, turn that list in the widget and add this widget to your company blog.

Benefits: Show the people behind your brand, let your blog readers subscribe to all of them to turn your blog visitors into loyal brand advocates

Best Way to Use Twitter Favorites for Giving Your Positive Brand Mentions More visibility

Twitter Favorites have always been an almost extra feature of Twitter. I did notice many people (maybe marketers) started using the unloved start icon more often ever since it was announced it played some role in Twitter ranking search results. But more often than not there’s no a tangible benefit of adding Tweets to favorites (I usually prefer to retweet). favorites work great for controlled twitter curation.

A few months ago I shared a few ideas of how to use Twitter favorites.

IdeaFavorite all your positive brand mentions and publicize them via a Twitter widget or RSS feed. Twitter testimonials are so believable!

Good luck curating Twitter!

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50 Responses

  1. Great post Ann!

    I too really enjoy using Tweetdeck! It helps me get to where I exactly need to be! This would really help those who have problems on how to promote and control their brand mentions on twitter! Keep up the good work Ann!

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