2 Useful Twitter Tools That Will Help You Network The Right Way

When it comes to social media, you don’t get much more social than Twitter. Since it was hatched, Twitter has become a place for breaking news, trending topics, and of course a hive of business opportunities. It has completely transformed the way we network, promote, and exchange information with each other. I’d like to share with you two very useful Twitter tools that I use which help me connect with like-minded people.

That iconic little Twitter bird is deeply embedded in our culture. So deep, in fact, that there are more than 500 million Twitter users (yes, 500 million) dishing out around 400 million updates per day on our tweet happy planet.

With so many people actively using and engaging on Twitter, there is one question that should be playing on any business owner’s mind: How do you tap into the marketing power of Twitter by seeking out and networking with the right people? The answer to that question is rather simple – Make use of the fantastic array of Twitter tools. It would take a lifetime to go over all the amazing Twitter tools out there (there are many). Nonetheless, here are two that I really love for building a useful following and finding the right roosts to settle in.

2 Twitter Tools Worth Trying

1. Followerwonk

This Twitter tool, now owned by SEOmoz, is undoubtedly the most powerful analytics tool there is. Rather than jumping on the follow anyone and everyone bandwagon, which usually gets you nowhere, this clever twitter tool lets you strategically grow your following. You can do almost anything, from comparing two users and their followers to discovering and connecting with the influential people in your industry. You can even find out when your followers (and anyone else for that matter) are most likely to tweet and be online. In fact, you can do so much with Followerwonk that you could spend days analyzing your Twitter account (not recommended if you like having a life).

Of course, with great power comes great priceability, and you have to pay for a pro membership with SEOmoz to reap all of the benefits of this tool. However, that is really the only downside. Even with the free version, you get some awesome features, such as the ability to compare your Twitter activity with the activity of other users. If you’re a business that is serious about growing a useful Twitter following, then Followerwonk will be a worthy companion to reach your goal.

2. Twellow

As far as Twitter tools for networking go, Twellow has to be my favorite. It is a massive directory of Twitter users that allows you to find the right people with incredible ease. Once you sign up, you can create a profile, add a bio of 2000 characters (instead of the 160 that you’re restricted to on Twitter), and put links to your other social media sites so people can follow all of your social happenings.

However, what I really love about this Twitter tool is the searching abilities for finding people in your industry and in your local area. There are hundreds of different categories that you can browse to find the people that matter. Plus, at a mere click of a button, you can directly follow the people that you want without ever leaving Twellow. It really is an easy and simple solution to finding key people to follow. Oh, and it’s completely free to use… perfect!

With those two Twitter tools at your disposal, you should be well on your way to analyzing and building a decent, targeted, industry specific following. Give them a go and see how you get along. Why not join in the conversation, and let us know what Twitter tools you love using?

Header Image Credit: [deviantART / MaroBot]