Twitter can be a very useful tool for networking, but it's not always easy to get started. You probably know a few people to start "following" but if you goal is to build your business network, you'll want to quickly expand that circle. Here are a few tools to help you do that:
Add your current contacts. First, use Tiwtter's tool to search the contacts in your Web-based e-mail accounts (like Google, Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL, etc.). This is faster than searching for each contact individually.
Follow interesting people! Now that you have a base of contacts, start expanding your network by finding people with similar interests. Try Twellow, a Twitter search tool that allows you to search by name, profession, or interest category. Once you find some interesting folks, follow their conversations for a while to learn more about relevant topics and news. Another one you can try is Mr. Tweet.
Join the conversation. Monitor Twitter conversations by designating a search for keywords using TweetBeep. When others tweet about your search terms, you'll be notified by e-mail, and then you can join in. Monitter is a similar tool.
Keep up on local events. As convenient as it is to network online, to build a truly powerful network, you also need to show up in person at local events and meetings. CityTweets can help you find those events and hook up with others in your area that can recommend places to go for in-person business networking.

