How to Send Tweets Using TweetDeck

TweetDeck is one the most popular Twitter desktop applications available to Twitterers. It is extremely easy to use and has taken the most commonly used actions in tweeting and turned them into one-step features. If you're new to TweetDeck, here is what you need to know to start tweeting:

To Reply To a Tweet

You can reply to any tweet directly from the All Friends, Replies or any Group or Search column. Simply hover the mouse over that persons profile pic and you'll see a set of four buttons appear. The reply button is located in the top left-hand corner and is identified by a left-pointing arrow icon. Click on the reply button and TweetDeck will automatically fill in the @TwitterersName for you. Once you type your tweet out simply hit Enter or click on the button located on the right-hand side of the tweet box identified by a conversation balloon to send.

To Retweet a Tweet

If you want to retweet a tweet from your All Friends, Replies, Group or Search column, TweetDeck makes this super-easy for you as well. The Retweet button is located directly below the Reply button. It is identified by a right-pointing arrow icon. Once you click on the Retweet button, TweetDeck will automatically begin the retweet with RT @TwitterersName and follow it with the original tweet. If there are still characters left over (just look at the character counter located directly below the send button) you can add to the retweet.

To Shorten URLs in a Tweet

If you are going to include a URL in your tweet, it's a good idea to shorten the URL so that your tweet stays below the 140 character count limit. TweetDeck has a built in Shorten URL feature located directly below the tweet box. Type or paste the URL into that field and click on Shorten. TweetDeck will automatically shorten the URL to a more Twitter-friendly size.

To Attach a Photo (Pic) to a Tweet

TweetDeck makes it incredibly easy to attach pics to your tweets as well, using TwitPic. To upload your pic, simply click on the TwitPic icon (located right next to the Shorten icon) and select the pic you want to attach to your tweet from your hard drive. Once you've selected the pic, click on Open and TwitPic will automatically upload the pic to your tweet.

To Shorten a Tweet

Sometimes our tweets go over 140 characters (the limit imposed by Twitter) and we need a little help getting it to the right size. TweetDeck has a TweetShrink option that can take a tweet like this:

Here's a sample tweet to show you what TweetShrink can do to tweets that are over the 140 character limit. It's so simple to use and very convenient!

To a more Twitter-friendly version like this:

hre's a sample tweet 2 show U wht TweetShrink cn do 2 tweets that R over the 140 char limit. It's so simple 2 use & very convenient!

The TweetShrink button is located right next to the TwitPic button.

To Translate a Tweet

If you're following some international friends on Twitter, then this next feature will come in very handy! TweetDeck can translate your tweet into thirty-five different languages. Simply type your tweet out in English (or the language of your choice) and click on the Translate button which is located right next to the TweetShrink button.

To Include Recent Hashtags in a Tweet

To save yourself some typing, you can include a recent hashtag in your tweet simply by clicking on the Recent Hashtag button. The Recent Hashtag button is located right next the Translate button.