Twitter Moved My Cheese, and I am Not Happy About It!

Note: Who Moved My Cheese was a hot business book waaaay back in the 1990s. It was basically all about people who couldn't deal with change.

I am NOT one of those people.

However, I am always looking for the best, most productive routine to help me get the most out of my day. I had a pretty decent one set up, then Twitter made a change that I will explain in a moment, and now my process is discombobulated — or FUBAR if you prefer. That wouldn't be so bad if the loss of one path led to a better one - as change often does. But I'll be darned if I can find that better path.

Hoping some of you can help.

First of all, understand that a basic tenant of my Twitter philosophy is "The best thank you for a RT is an RT." When someone retweets something of mine, I try to find something of theirs to retweet. It's good karma, and frankly, it's a lot more interesting to read someone's tweet stream when it isn't filled with a bunch of "TY for the RT" tweets.

Quick aside: I don't always retweet, in case you're wondering. (Not that you were.) Sometimes, I just can't find anything that I think will be of interest to my followers. I'm grateful for the RT, but I need to be true to my persona. A little digital-marketing speak there. Can't help it. It's my day job.

Back to the routine...Being a bit old-fashioned, I had all my tweets, mentions, new follows, etc. sent to my inbox. (Yes, I still use email!) Every morning, I went through them one-by-one. The Twitter handle was included in the email so I could easily pop over to their tweet stream to see if they had anything I could retweet. It was so fast and easy, I could make it through 25 - 30 every morning. Side note: I use Buffer so that I'm not RTing everything in rapid-fire succession.  

Now, Twitter is serving things up in my email in some sort of new graphic mode. Here's what it looks like with images downloaded.

Now you might think if I clicked on the tweeter's profile image or his name, it would take me to his tweet stream so I could return the favor. No, it takes me to my tweet! 

I don't need to see my tweet. I wrote the darned thing, and it's not like I'm going to retweet my own tweet. (Although I have seen people do that, I always assume they are using one of those auto-retweet services. Either that, or they are a bit on the ego-centric side.)

I can get to the tweeter's profile by plugging in the Twitter handle that's included in the subject line, but that's so 1990s. I mean, really? Cut and paste?

Note that I also have the option

of replying to myself. 

I can also get to their tweet stream by finding their profile image at the bottom of the tweet showing me who retweeted that particular tweet. But that takes me to the micro version of their tweet stream - that I cannot retweet from even if they have something worthy there. I have to click on full profile at the bottom. Really Twitter? 3 clicks before I can actually get to the tweet stream?

I still wasn't worried because I figured I could just use HootSuite. I've been using it for years to auto schedule my tweets even though I prefer Buffer for retweets. But wouldn't you know it? HootSuite Pro, to the best of my investigative abilities, doesn't seem to have the option to add a stream for retweets.

I suppose I could add another service just to make retweeting easier, but I already subscribe to Hootsuite and Buffer, as mentioned. I also use Crowdfire, formerly JustUnfollow, to make it easier to follow back and unfollow those who were just using me to jack up their numbers. (When someone unfollows you less than 24 hours after following you, it's a dead giveaway.)

Anyway, if any of you have a routine that works for you that you'd like to share, I am all ears. Or eyes, as the case may be, since I'll be reading your advice in the comment box.

Thanks!

MJ