List of 12 Free Microblogging Sites and Tools to Grow Your Business

Microblogging

What is Micro-blogging? Micro-blogging is a type of blogging but all posts are very short (usually less than 160 characters).

How do I Microblog?

As a business owner you can use microblogging to build relationships with potential customers and get referrals. Here are some tips...

• Connect with people you know from the present or the past.
• Connect with people who have shown an interest in your field. Find them through groups, directories or searches on their mircoblog posting topics.
• Tweet it: tweet about your product, service, information, tips, etc.
• Include keywords in your message
• Ask people to take action – click on link.

Resources: Microblogging

Here are several sites that provide a micro-blogging platform:

• Twitter - Twitter is a free social messaging utility for staying connected in real-time.
• Plaxo – We securely host address books for more than 40 million people. And now, we're bringing those address books to life with "Pulse," a new way to enrich your connection with the people in your life. Pulse is meant to be a better way for you to stay in touch with the people you actually know and care about — your family, your real-world friends, and the people you know from business. Pulse makes it easy for you to see what they’re creating and sharing online — their blogs, the photos they’re uploading, their restaurant reviews, and so much more.
• LinkedIn - LinkedIn is an interconnected network of experienced professionals from around the world, representing 170 industries and 200 countries. You can find, be introduced to, and collaborate with qualified professionals that you need to work with to accomplish your goals.
• Facebook - Leading Social networking site. Status feeds are microblogs.
• Plurk - Plurk is an easy way to chronicle and share the things you do, the way you feel, and all the other things in between that make up your life, with the people close to you..
• Jaiku - Create your own microblog and connect with your friends. Post from the Web, by SMS, or from desktop clients. Add comments, use icons. A Google company.
• Identi.ca - Identi.ca is a microblogging service. Users post short (140 character) notices which are broadcast to their friends and fans using the Web, RSS, or instant messages.

Tools:

• SocialOomph – Easily manage multiple twitter accounts on one single page. Schedule tweets and send DM’s to all of your followers.
• TweetDeck - TweetDeck is your personal browser for staying in touch with what’s happening now, connecting you with your contacts across Twitter, Facebook and more. TweetDeck shows you everything you want to see at once, so you can stay organized and up to date.
• HootSuite - HootSuite is the ultimate Twitter toolbox. With HootSuite, you can manage multiple Twitter profiles, pre-schedule tweets, and measure your success. HootSuite lets you manage your entire Twitter experience from one easy-to-use interface.
• Ping.fm - Ping.fm is a simple and FREE service that makes updating your social networks a snap!
• Wefollow – A directory of twitter users.