In a relatively short time, Twitter has become my absolute favorite web addiction. It's exciting, fun to use, and it's a really handy tool for bloggers, writers, and web workers alike.
Here's 5 ways I like to use Twitter in my online publishing business.
1. Tapping into the Twitter stream. There are a gazillion cool hacks for Twitter, but the one that I like best is Summize.com. It's a search engine for the Twitter feed and I like it better than Google right now. The information is always fresh since it's constantly being updated as new tweets are posted. I use it to get ideas for blog posts and to get the up-to-the-second pulse on what the Twitterverse is talking about.
2. Network and Meet New People. Twitter is a great place to network and chat with people who are interested in the same stuff you are. When you have an online business or work at home, it's easy to feel isolated from the rest of the world. Twitter is always there when you need to take a break or just eavesdrop on some interesting conversations. I've networked with more people through Twitter in 3 weeks then I have in a whole year through my off line business network.
3. Idea Generator and Research Tool. Twitter is just one giant, fascinating think tank. It's like having a conversation with hundreds of people at once. You can ask questions, get feedback, and see what other Twitterers are reading, watching, thinking, eating or doing. I get so many ideas from using Twitter that it sometime keeps me up at night thinking about it all. For a research hound, Twitter is Nirvana!
4. Keeping Track of Links. Instead of bookmarking posts, web sites and web services like I used to, I now link to them through my posts on Twitter. That way I can share the good stuff I find with my Twitter friends and keep track of it for myself at the same time. No more time wasting, frustrating searches through my Firefox bookmarks looking for that elusive missing link.
5. Warm up to Writing Blog Posts. Twitter really gets my writing juices flowing, sparking ideas and making the writing process fun and easy. The limit of only 140 characters per post smashes through writer's block and brings the joy back into writing for me. If I need an idea for a post, I can scan through my Twitter posts and replies and find a good topic idea fast.
I could go on and on, but Twitter simply ROCKS! But don't take my word for it. Take Twitter for a spin yourself and you'll see what I mean.
Linda Locke
Twitter Tips
Want to expand your group of followers on Twitter? Try using an organic approach to building your Twitter fans and people will naturally want to follow you. In other words, be yourself, be open, write from the heart, and be helpful.
One of the things I like the best about Twitter is the power of networking and making connections with people who are passionate about the same things you are. 
Working at home can be isolating and after a while you might be missing the camaraderie of your old office mates and those chats around the water cooler.
