Looking for an easier way to take part and follow a Twitter Party? TweetGrid is one of my favorite party tools. Here’s a brief tutorial on how to use TweetGrid for parties:
1. How do I refresh my page – it’s appeared to slow down or stick? DO NOT refresh the page by using the Windows refresh button. Instead if you select the FULL ADDRESS button at the top of the TweetGrid your grid will be refreshed without having to reset or lose your place.
2. How do I share my TweetGrid with others? You can simply click TWEET IT from the top of the grid and a shortened URL will appear in your tweet box. Select TWEET and you have now shared your TweetGrid with others.
3. I don’t see my tweets showing up in the grid, why? There may be many reasons. First check to see if you added your user name to the 3rd grid and select SEARCH. You can enter @User or simple User and you can now see when people talk to you AND when your tweets show up in the stream. If that doesn’t work – you might need to check and see if the hashtag has been entered. If you forget to enter the hashtag (already filled out in the examples I provide) you won’t appear in the grid. Lastly – check and see if your tweets are protected. Added: If your Twitter account is brand new it may not show up in the TweetGrid application for several days. Switch back to regular Twitter and join the fun from there.
4. Do I have to follow ALL of the hosts in my grid? No – but be sure to follow @TheEcoChic and at least one other host so you can see when we ask questions, provide coupons, and announce winners.
5. Can you pause the stream of chats, I saw something I wanted to respond to but it moved to quickly? Yes – if you select STOP at the top of the column new tweets will not show up. Once you catch up you can select SEARCH and all the new tweets will appear.
6. My middle column has stalled and isn’t updating, why? TweetGrid is not perfect – but here are some tips. First start by refreshing the screen (see tip #1) and see if things start moving again. Another trick is to change-up the names in the box. If you are following everyone maybe try to change the box to only include 1-2 people. You can enter any of the following information into the middle grid to follow the hosts: 1) @host, 2) from:host, or host2, 3) group: host1, host2, host3, etc!
7. How do I reply to someone? When your cursor goes over a box or tweet a set of arrows will show up. The left arrow is to reply to the person who wrote the tweet. The right arrow is to retweet (or repeat) the tweet – and you can even add your own comment to the retweet. You can also DM (or direct message) the tweeter, favorite the tweet, or email the tweet to yourself.
8. Can I share a photo from TweetGrid? Yes – while some prefer to share photos using TwitPic or other service by selecting the PHOTO button at the top of the page a pop up box will appear with information on how to upload your photo for tweeting.
9. Want to customize your grid even more? At the top of the page you will see the following options: Tweets Per Grid and Grid Layout. Play around and find the layout that you like most. By adding extra boxes you can even follow your Direct Messages, Friends, or Lists. Look at the small + sign under the box that says settings – then customize each box.
10. Want to see a video tutorial of TweetGrid in action? Visit: www.tweetgrid.com/howto and watch the video on Twitter Parties.
What other questions do you have for me about Twitter or TweetGrid? Have a tip you want to share? Leave your comments below and we’ll TWEET you SOON!
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