Twitter has become one huge global chat room and it is growing leaps and bounds everyday. It has totally changed the way that people communicate on line and it should be an indispensable part of your overall marketing plan for your website and or blog.

Twitter is often called a “microblog” but in reality it is very different than a blog. Blogs can be designed with a similar look and functionality of a website but with the added benefit of being a content management system. Blogs can also be hosted on the writers own web server. Twitter however, can not be hosted on your own server. A Twitter account is free and comes with your own space (your profile) on the Twitter website similar to the way you get space on a social network. A Twitter account is nothing like having a website it is just a messaging system. The only thing that can be done in terms of design is the user’s profile page background and font colors.

Twitter is a very easy and efficient way to communicate with people around the world. On everyones Twitter page there is 1 question on the top of the page. “What are you doing?” Users answer that question through short messages, Twitter calls “updates”. In the Twitter community these updates are referred to as “Tweets”. Messages are limited just to 140 characters, which is why some people call it a “microblog”. An account can be set to private so the users updates are not on the public time line but that is rare. Updates are usually out there on the open web for the world to see. There is a built in search function so you can find and monitor updates on topics you are interested in.

Similar to social networking users can attract new friends called “followers”. In Twitter people can usually “follow” anybody they want and see their updates. When you follow somebody and they follow you back they’ll receive your updates and you’ll receive theirs. Also, when people follow each other they can send each other private messages.

Here are a few of the ways you can use Twitter in your marketing:

1. Getting traffic to a website or blog – a simple post to Twitter can drive many readers to site or blog.

2. Connecting with your readership – When you blog, you’re speaking to your readership from a distance. You write your post, edit it and then post it. During all of these activities, you’re removed from your audience. But when you use Twitter to communicate, it becomes a conversation.

3. Building your brand – By providing quality information you will become an authority in your niche and the laws of attraction will reward you with loyal followers.

4. Research – With Twitter, your target market can be at your be at your fingertips. You can spy on their interests, ask them about their needs and automatically get ideas for your blog posts, articles or Squidoo lens.