I’ve been using Twitter Tools for a while on Blueverse.com, but recently have had problems with the plugin not functioning correctly. I finally sat down this afternoon to try and troubleshoot the plugin. After about an hour of messing around with it, looking for help on the developer’s site and searching in Google, I came up with a big fat goose egg. Nothing.
Instead of wasting any more time, I decided to try an alternative. After a bunch of searching for a plugin, I again found a whole lotta nothing. There are some options out there, but nothing that looked solid or enticing. So I decided to try a different way of approaching it. The thing I really like about this setup is it’s one less plugin to manage in Wordpress. These days I feel that the fewer plugins you have, the better.
Here’s what I set up along with quick instructions of how to do it. I haven’t tested it extensively, but am going to try it on a couple of my blogs to see how it does.
What we’ll be using:
- Twitter Account
- Wordpress Blog (although Twitterfeed will let you do the same thing with a Blogger blog)
- RSS Feed from your blog
- Twitterfeed
- Bit.ly
Here’s the quick and dirty. These instructions assume you’re using Wordpress and that you have an RSS feed already set up for your Wordpress blog. I’m also assuming you already have a Twitter account set up.
1. Register for an account on Bit.ly.
Here’s a link to their site: Bit.ly. Click the Sign Up link in the upper right hand corner. You will only need to choose a username, enter your email address, and select a password to register.
2. Register for an account on Twitterfeed.
Here’s a link to their site: Twitterfeed.com. You only have to enter your Email Address and a Password to create your account.
3. Create a new feed on Twitterfeed.
Once logged in to Twitterfeed, you’ll need to create a new feed. That will lead you to this screen:
Follow the steps to connect to your Twitter account (you’ll have to plug in your username and password for Twitter), Name your feed and enter your RSS Feed URL. Next, click on Advanced Settings. I would suggest leaving settings at their default status with the exception of two things: 1. Post Link and 2. Post Prefix.
For Post Link, check the Post Link box. You’ll have to select how you’d like feeds shortened. I’ve been using bit.ly lately and really like it. You will need your bit.ly username and an API Key. Both of those bits of information can be found once you are logged in to bit.ly. On bit.ly, click on the Account link in the upper right hand corner of the screen next to “Welcome, your username”. In the left hand column you will see your API Login (username) and API Key. Highlight and copy the API Key since it’s loooonnng and paste it into the appropriate field back on the Twitterfeed feed setup screen. Enter your bit.ly username and you’re done with that part.
For Post Prefix, I like something along the lines of “New Blog Post” or something that signifies the nature of the tweets that will be generated by your blog. Choose whatever fits your style.
Once done, click the Create Feed button at the bottom and you’re all set. Now whenever you update your blog with a new post, Twitterfeed will see it when it checks and send it out to your Twitter followers with a link to the post you just created.
The great thing about this setup is if you have more blogs you want to update your respective feeds, just create additional feeds in Twitterfeed. You can manage them all from one account on the system.
September 17th, 2009 at 6:31 am
Thanks for the detailed walk through tutorial. Now it seems easy.
September 17th, 2009 at 11:35 am
It's really cool way you have found out & I am glad that apart from being able to deliver the results it's also enjoyable for you. I completely understand it. I find flashtweet quite great tool myself.
September 17th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
I've been using twitter tools on wordpress for a while now. Great tool. You can play with the settings to do basically anything and it's so much easier than tweeting every article published when your publishing several articles a day.
September 17th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Nice detailed explanation, I would like to hear more responses from readers to see how they are doing with the tool.
September 18th, 2009 at 3:07 am
I have seen few people promote the twitter plugin that you talk about. I dint know it can have so many issues. You have explained well how to achieve same results without such a plug in.
I am about to test the plug in. If I face similar issues I will follow your approach. Thanks for introducing it.
September 18th, 2009 at 4:01 am
Nice post. It was helpful and informative. Twitter is helful, i use these tools to and it works great.
September 18th, 2009 at 11:20 am
I have one blog and am yet to start twittering. You make it sound so simple that I may just start to!
September 18th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Great details! Twittering as become the new craze!
September 18th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Bit.ly is the best URL Shortener that I have come across. I love it. No, I am in love with it, don’t tell my wife. According to the bit.ly blog, they currently have approximately 160 million clicks on their shortened URLs in a given week. Clearly I am not alone in my love for bit.ly.
September 21st, 2009 at 11:04 am
Thanks a lot! I've been trying to do this for a long time but I couldn't, I'll try this out!
September 22nd, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Nice and useful information about one most popular Social media sites Twitter that How To Add Automatic Twitter Updates From Your Blog .
September 25th, 2009 at 5:37 am
I am not using this application, but assume that this tool is really great for use. I will try it now. Thank you for your great help.
September 28th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Good tutorial about add twitter updates from your blog. Thanks for informative post.
October 8th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Have a nice tips to add a automatic update for twitter from my blog! you always come with nice tips!
October 9th, 2009 at 7:58 am
great..i also did this in one of my website..you can get more traffics because of this..
October 14th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Add your business to Google Maps and Yahoo maps. The mapping services display your location when people search in your area.
October 21st, 2009 at 7:55 am
Automatic Twitter updates from my site? That's great! Thanks for the info.
October 28th, 2009 at 6:55 am
Thinking about twittering and this can be useful. Its a great information.
November 4th, 2009 at 11:08 am
I LOVE twitter tools! There are some many great ones out there now, it really makes twitter much more fun.
November 5th, 2009 at 6:49 am
You can add Twitter update from Edit HTML section if available in the blog!
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:16 am
Great. I'll add it to my website
November 24th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Nice tutorial, I will apply your lesson now.
Thanks.
December 6th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Automatic Twitter updates from my site?
December 11th, 2009 at 2:14 am
Thanks
February 11th, 2010 at 9:44 am
Thank you, this was so helpful. I don't know why this information is not available on the twitterfeed website. I had found it on my own but couldn't figure out if it really did what I thought it did until I came across your blog post.