I use the last few updates to “feed” to my website and blog — I think the Twitter postings are an excellent tool for increasing results on keyword search for your business or organization.

In terms of tracking, I’m using the cotweet.com tool, which allows me to track how many times someone actually clicks through to links I post.

I also “pre-schedule” tweets on my own keywords, and I follow up via e-mail with people I want to connect with.

The people who have contacted me through my keywords on Twitter have pitched me business ideas, story ideas, and connections with other potential partners, interview subjects, or general allies.

I don’t think you need to keep track of all the conversations that happen in your Twitterstream — just the ones that are interesting to you for the project or endeavor you’re working on.

Like the author, I too, have a blog, a website and two businesses to run. While I find it fascinating that someone wants to follow me, I would much rather they came to my site, read my blog and followed me there!

I was recently asked to cover an event by twittering the night away, rather than doing my usual “interview/fact gathering” mode and then turning that into an article for my site or the local media. I found myself heads down most of the evening, fingers racing over the keys, not communicating with my husband, nor the people I would normally talk with about the evening – rather, I was sitting and tweeting.

I am not old fashioned, nor do I scoff at the latest and greatest to keep us connected (I am a crackberry addict), but I just can’t see the benefit of this, except for research and professional referrals. I’m concerned when I see a table of people all face down to their keystrokes and not looking each other in the eye and having a real time conversation!

How does the saying go “don’t hate me because I’m……not tweeting as much”!

I think Twitter is going to wind up being a research tool as much as anything. So if you wanted to find out about a propective company or individual, you could search Twitter (along with the rest of social media) to learn something about them.

Also, the really smart people in places like Google, are hard at work trying to figure out how to provide this information with some cohesiveness. I think Salesforce.com already has a tool that can do some of this. Google just announced the Google Wave Technology.

It’s a changing world!

Returning to your first paragraph, it’s all about one’s purpose for Twitter, isn’t it? Are you connecting socially, or using it as a platform to convey information about a particular organization, i.e. advertising?

Thanks for your post, it gives me a lot to think about! And if I find myself in Tennessee around September I will make it a point of stopping by the Fair!