Media Emerging

If you’re still Tweeting by visiting Twitter.com, you’re missing the ease and convenience of feature-rich desktop Twitter clients like Tweetdeck, Seesmic Desktop and Twhirl.

I’ve bounced between those three for nearly a year, but decided to give browser-based HootSuite a try. There’s plenty to love, plenty to hate, and plenty of potential.

What I Love About HootSuite

Tabs. Tweetdeck’s biggest flaw, in my view, is a narrow interface that forces you to scroll horizontally to find columns that can’t fit on a standard screen. HootSuite uses columns and tabs, allowing for a cleaner, more organized presentation.

Multiple Twitter Accounts. Other Twitter clients allow multiple Twitter accounts, but I like the simplicity of HootSuite. HootSuite displays avatars for each account, and forces you to click the account to Tweet from before your Tweet is sent, which reduces the risk of an inadvertent misTweet.

Things I Hate About HootSuite

Browser-Based. I’ve always hated browser-based Twitter apps. It forces me to keep a browser open all day, whereas desktop apps typically minimize to the tray and streamline my screen. There’s also the risk that I’ll visit another page from that browser, and…bye-bye Tweets.

Dashboard Layout. The tabs/columns area of the dashboard is fine, but the text-entry field butts up against the top edge of the browser. My eye is accustomed to seeing a buffer or margin.

No Audio/Visual Alerts. HootSuite’s settings tab lists “Enable audio/visual notification when I receive new Tweets” as an option. I have it turned on. Maybe I’m missing something, but I’m not getting audio alerts. And the visual alerts only appear to display if I’m actually looking at the browser…seems kinda unnecessary at that point, no? I’d prefer a pop-up alert a la Tweetdeck, FriendFeed Notifier or Twhirl.

No Facebook Integration. Tweetdeck (and I believe Seesmic Desktop) integrates with Facebook. Granted, it’s a one-way Facebook –> Tweetdeck integration (are FB/Twitter addressing this?), but it’s a nice feature. HootSuite doesn’t let you pull in Facebook status updates. They should.

HootSuite Areas of Opportunity

Stats. HootSuite has built-in link stats. It’s a nice feature, but I’d like to see deeper analysis. How often was a Tweet ReTweeted? Who ReTweets my stuff the most frequently? What exactly is a “Direct Click,” and how are my Tweets being clicked on Facebook.com?

For more on HootSuite stats, check out Valeria Maltoni’s post.

Workflow Management. HootSuite allows you to add multiple users to a HootSuite account. I haven’t done this yet, but presumably this would allow teams to manage Twitter accounts by sharing the workload. If HootSuite adds workflow management similar to what social monitoring platform Radian6 has done, they’ll gain market share in the business sector.

Closing Thoughts

HootSuite has a few other features, but these are my highlights. If you’re cool with a web-based browser, I think it offers some advantages over Tweetdeck. It’s got shortcomings — all of the Twitter clients do, at this point — but HootSuite has potential.

Google AdWords isn’t on my good side right now.

Three months ago, I joined the Google AdWords Professional program. The goal was to get certified, become a more successful ad manager, and improve clients’ PPC ad performance

The experience has been a headache.

To enroll, you must create a “My Client Center,” which lets you manage multiple ad accounts. I created a MCC log-in using my work email address.

Unfortunately, I learned later that Google’s certification would not carry over if I ever deleted that account. In other words, if I ever leave Ritz Marketing (and my Ritz email account), my Google AdWords credentials cease to exist.

Just to be safe, I tried to register (again) for Google’s AdWords Professionals program, this time using my MediaEmerging.com email address.

That’s when Google really started to suck.

Google AdWords, Brought to You By IRS Form 2779, Schedule 10-J and Revised Addendum BS301, Subparagraph…Oh, WTF?!

To create a Google AdWords Professional account, you must first create a basic Google AdWords account. I did so, using my primary email address — the one I use for all of my Google products.

But when I tried to register for the Professional program, I learned I could not use my primary email address because it was linked to the basic AdWords account I just created as a prerequisite of joining the Professional program.

I can’t delete the AdWords account tied to my primary email address, so I can’t register for Professional with my preferred address. I don’t want to switch between Google accounts 20 times a day.

In other words, I’m screwed.

I’d take this up with Google if they had customer service, but you know how that story ends. Maybe I’ll just shift my ad dollars to Yahoo/Microsoft.