With the era of instant information, it is growing increasingly important to manage your brand, your self, your industry, etc. Twitter is especially instant and viral. Motrin didn’t realize the importance of Twitter and ended up in a big ole mess. If you missed it, check out the Motrin controversy. 

I’ve had a great experience with companies on Twitter. Every time, I mentioned the company’s name they are quick to respond. I mentioned I love Uncommon Goods – guess what, received a tweet offering me a coupon. I expressed my displeasure with a Comast and Bank of America issue and after our back and forths I received a call from the Assistant to the CEO of Bank of America who took care of the problem instantly. Crazy! I didn’t have to sit on the phone for an hour. I didn’t have to go through various people. 

You should see some of the stuff that is said about Realtors and real estate. Really, you should. Ever wonder if maybe someone is talking about you as a Realtor? There are many ways to monitor your name, your brand and your industry through various Twitter alert services. You will be notified via email when your specified keywords are mentioned.

Tweet Beep: You can even track who is mentioning your website or your blog – even if they are using a shortened url (tinyurl, bit.ly, etc.) Quite cool.

Twilert:  I have Twilert set up but have found that its notificiations are at least a day old. I want to respond to tweet immediately as they are mentioned. 

Seesmic Desktop: Twitter is instant. Your information is there and then it’s gone off your radar screen.  Email alerts are good but only if they are timely. Motrin should have JUMPED on the first mention of their brand in a negative tone. Seesmic Desktop is a computer program you download. It allows you to manage your Facebook & Twitter accounts AS WELL AS monitor your keywords instantly, just like your @replies. It’s a great tool.

Whether you are in the conversation, the conversation is happening. Be in it.