Taking a long overdue page from the Seesmic and Tweetdeck playbook, Twitter.com recently launched Twitter lists, enabling you to segment the people you follow on Twitter into groups.
This is particularly useful in organizing people by industry, geography, or even the type of content they typically tweet.
But what’s more interesting is that Twitter Lists help define your personal brand.
You Are What You Are. Not What You Wish You Were
A long-standing tenet of search engine optimization is that the search terms that people use to find your Web site reflect the reality of how your site is perceived by Google (and thus by searchers). Sure, you may want to be ranked #1 for “financial services PR”. But, if nobody ever finds your site when searching for that term, you’re not “financial services PR” – but rather something else entirely.
Twitter Lists work exactly the same way. The names of the Twitter lists on which you appear gives you a tremendous pool of information about how your personal brand is perceived by Twitter users.
If you’re in public relations, but very few of the Twitter lists you’re on are about public relations, maybe you need to increase the amount of public relations content that you’re tweeting?
Gaze Into My Crystal Ball of Twitter List Linguistics
To better understand this effect, my friend (and programming warlock) Joseph Jaramillo created a Twitter List Converter. It’s freely available at http://twitterlists.convinceandconvert.com
- Just go to http://twitter.com and click on “listed” below your name in the right hand corner.
- Highlight all of the Twitter list information on the page, and copy it.
- Then, paste into the “Input” box on the Twitter List Converter. (you may need to do this a few times if you’re on many lists, as Twitter only shows 20 at a time).
- Check the “remove hyphens” box, and press Submit.
- Voila! A list of all the Twitter lists that you’re on, in an easy-to-browse fashion.
Want an even better understanding of how you’re viewed on Twitter?
- Copy the “Output” column from the Twitter List Convertor.
- Go to Wordle and click “create”.
- Paste into the box, and click “Go”. Presto! Now you have a visual word cloud that shows the frequency/density of the words used to describe YOU on Twitter.
I’m Not Funny. But I Know Social Media
Here’s the Twitter List word cloud for me, vs. the word cloud for @shitmydadsays (perhaps the funniest Twitter account in existence).
On the social Web, “tags” are how we organize information. Are you being “tagged” the way you want to be on Twitter Lists?
I’ve just started working on this concept, and Joseph was nice enough to build me a tool. Use it, and let us know what you think about Twitter Lists and personal branding.
Twitter Comment
RT @jaybaer: What do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand? [link to post] (easy tool) #twittertools
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Pretty cool tool there. FWIW – my tag cloud: http://twitpic.com/p92dp
.-= Sonny Gill´s last blog ..do we live in a bribery economy? =-.
Nice. Looks like you’re spread is a little wider than mine, topically. Good for you. I’d like to get there.
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What do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand? [link to post] (via @woley @jaybaer)
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RT@ValerieSimon
Interesting RT @jaybaer: What do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand? [link to post] (easy tool)
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Very fun! RT @TomMartin: RT @jaybaer: What do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand? [link to post] (easy tool)
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Twitter Comment
Interesting RT @jaybaer: What do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand? [link to post] (easy tool)
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Great idea RT @jaybaer: What do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand? [link to post] (easy tool)
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Couple great tools, thanks Jay. RT @jaybaer: What do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand? [link to post] (easy tool)
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RT @jaybaer What do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand? [link to post] (easy tool)
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RT @TomMartin Great idea (via @jaybaer): What do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand? [link to post] (easy tool)
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RT @LoisMarketing Great idea (via @TomMartin @jaybaer) What do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand? [link to post] (easy tool)
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What Do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand? [link to post] #socialmedia #news
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RT @SocialMedia411: What Do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand?(Jay Baer): [link to post] [Very cool]
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RT @Sisarina: What do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand? [link to post] (via @woley @jaybaer)
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What Do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand? [link to post] (easy tool)
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RT @FarrukhSiddiqui RT @LoisMarketing via @TomMartin @jaybaer) What do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand? [link to post]
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RT @MaryBeallAdler @Sisarina: What do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand? [link to post] (via @woley @jaybaer)
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What Do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand?(Jay Baer): [link to post] [Very cool]
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What Do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand?(Jay Baer): [link to post]
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RT @SocialMedia411: What Do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand?(Jay Baer): [link to post]
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RT @SocialMedia411: What Do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand?(Jay Baer): [link to post] [Very cool] Indeed!
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Interesting RT @SocialMedia411: What Do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand?(Jay Baer): [link to post] [Very cool]
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darin auch: Listen-Cloud erstellen RT @SocialMedia411 What Do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand?(Jay Baer): [link to post]
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RT @jaybaer: What do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand? [link to post] (easy tool)
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What twitter lists can tell you about your brand [link to post]
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Instead of simply taking a cue from Seesmic and TweetDeck, Twitter should have integrated already established groups from Twitter clients into the list function. It feels like a limited view of the many other groups/lists that you may be included within on other Twitter clients. Okay, ranting finished.
Thanks for the post and good work by Joseph on the tool. It seems I am heavily tied to my community and not a particular subject matter. It’s time to try and change that. http://www.twitpic.com/p9tur
I agree Michael. If you could port over your TweetDeck groups, it would be super handy. Maybe soon? Your cloud looks a lot like Chuck Reynolds’. Not a bad thing. But a local thing.
Love this post, it’s another great way to track your brand.
Love it! So sick of nerdy wordiness!
I create authentic image & branding so people can be believable & confident on the world stage.
Thanks Jay I posted mine on my Posterous Blog.
http://genuine.posterous.com/my-twitter-list-cloud-0
Super duper cool. The only downside is that if you’re not on a ton of lists the Wordle cloud is a bit sparse. Lovin’ it.
.-= Ken Montville´s last blog ..A Recommendation – The Dental Group in Riverdale, MD =-.
Definitely Ken. If you’re not on a ton of lists, easier to just scan them and not go through the process. But, the Wordle cloud is suitable for framing!
Twitter Comment
RT @jaybaer “What Do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand?” [link to post] #twitter #socialmedia #lists #groups
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This is a really cool visualization. And unbelievably easy to use. Surprised I haven’t heard of wordle before – very handy. I am going to be recommending this method to all of my clients. You are spot on that where we want to be is not always where we actually are.
Here’s my cloud: http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1330635/%40themaria%27s_twitter_list_tag_cloud
.-= Maria´s last blog ..Why Community Management is The Best New Job =-.
Absolutely Maria. Glad you liked it. Wordle is amazing. I used it recently to analyze open-ended responses to an online survey.
Twitter Comment
RT @PageRankSEO: RT @jaybaer “What Do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand?” [link to post] #twitter #socialmedia #lists #groups
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RT @zaibatsu: RT @PageRankSEO: RT @jaybaer “What Do twttr Lists Say abt yr Personal Brand?” [link to post] #twitter #socialmedia
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Really great tool but apparently I really need to expand my horizons. I seem to be associated mostly with where I live rather than what I do. http://twitpic.com/paydo
Your cloud is similar to Michael’s and Chuck’s, (but obviously tailored to your location). As I told them, that’s not bad, it’s just a bit limiting perhaps. But, for 13.5 of the 15 years I’ve been working in online marketing, my cloud would look just like yours. Only recently have I really tried to focus topically rather than geographically.
[...] Wordle was created from the names of the Twitter lists I’m on, following a suggestion by Jay Baer, and using the Twitter List Converter. My Twitter list [...]
Very cool, Jay. Here’s mine:
http://dbthomas.com/blog/2009/11/12/twitter-list-wordle/
.-= David B. Thomas´s last blog ..Turns out some of your friends are jerks =-.
says I’m in phoenix evidently and do seo and wordpress
http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1331339/chuckreynolds-twitter-list-Nov09
.-= Chuck Reynolds´s last blog ..November in Phoenix for Geeks =-.
Twitter Comment
That was fun – what do your lists say about you? [link to post] (Thanks @ChuckReynolds) http://pic.gd/cfebae
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Via @stefsull: what do your Twitter lists say about you? [link to post] (here’s mine: http://bit.ly/37bltc)
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“What Do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand?” – [link to post]
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What Do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand?
[link to post]
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“What Do #twitter Lists Say abt yr Personal Brand?” [link to post] RT @the_gman @zaibatsu @PageRankSEO @jaybaer #socialmedia
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RT @Twitter_Tips: Are #TwitterLists tags how you want to be known? [link to post] –Share: http://bit.ly/1t5B80
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Article: “What Do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand?” [link to post]
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Are #TwitterLists tags how you want to be known? [link to post] –Share: http://bit.ly/1t5B80
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Twitter_Tips: Are #TwitterLists tags how you want to be known? [link to post] –Share: http://.. http://bit.ly/2idled via @YoTwits
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RT @anthonystevens4: Twitter_Tips: Are #TwitterLists tags how you want to be known? [link to post] -Share http://.. http://bit.ly/2idled
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What Do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand | Social Media … [link to post]
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RT @RetiredTeacherD: What Do Twitter Lists Say About Your Personal Brand | Social Media … [link to post]
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