Twitter is a social networking tool that is attracting new members daily. It is free, quick and necessary for your blogging success. I use Twitter to promote my blogs and to find other people who share my interests. I have used Twitter to revive dead blogs and to jumpstart new ones. You can't beat Twitter when it comes to getting instant traffic to your blog (when you use it right).

Some tips to get your blog busy:

1. Be unique and give value to the Twitter community. Let your personality show in what you say, and also let it show in your blog. You also need to be careful of what you tweet - one tweet rattled off in anger can truly damage your reputation and make you lose followers.

2. Connect and network with others that share your interests. This can help with link exchanges or getting traffic for your blog. Use the "search" feature and find others that are tweeting about things that interest you or are relevant to your blog topic. Follow them and they will most likely follow you back. (I spend about 20 minutes a day searching for and following people.)

3. Promote your Twitter link. Many people use Twitter, so simply put your link in email signatures and in forum signatures - your list of followers will grow quickly. I have found that putting a Twitter link in your forum signature and then giving informative posts in a forum will guarantee people will follow you.

4. Be consistent with your tweets, but not too chatty. I make sure I send out tweets at least a few times a week - less on weekends, more during the week - and I don't get too talkative. I want people to look forward to my tweets, not groan when they see I have said something new.

5. Ask good questions. Asking a thought-provoking or controversial question with a link to your blog is a great way to get people to participate. Make sure you suggest in your tweet that people answer the question by making a comment on your blog. If you have a poll, send a tweet announcing the results - along with another link to your blog.

6. Be generous when you tweet. Become an asset to the Twitter community. Along with promoting your blog, make sure you participate in the other activity going on by answering questions and commenting on other blogs. I always answer any replies I have to something I post. I also ask questions or congratulate people when their tweets warrant it. It helps me be a welcome addition to the Twitter community.

It is a great tool that can produce fast results when used properly - so get started now!