We all love social media. We love it! I know there are some of you out there who are saying “Ugh, how can she say that?? I hate social media!” But deep down, under all that prickly disdain, you know that social media is one of the keys to blog success. And isn’t it?

While we all love social media, we all probably have a fondness for one, maybe two, platforms that really pull our heartstrings. For me, it’s Facebook. I can surf Facebook for minutes to hours every single day given half a chance.

But Twitter? Nah. Not me. Twitter was “after my time” – meaning only that Facebook was the thing right after MySpace took a dive, and it stole my heart. Twitter was late to the party, and who wants to truncate all the wonderful, descriptive things that you have to say? Let’s just say Twitter is not my cup of tea, er, coffee.

That is, Twitter was not my cup of coffee until I learned about Twitter. No, it’s not just a way for teenagers to send mass messages about their daily activities. Used properly, Twitter can be a really powerful tool. Let’s explore how some Twitter nuances can really help you grow your blog, all in 140 characters or less.

1. Twitter can help you reach high-profile people.

Think you want to talk to Lindsay and Bjork Ostrom from Pinch of Yum? Oh wait… you can! But for other high-profile bloggers out there, getting a word in sideways with a very busy and sought-after person can be quite the challenge.

Where emails might go through a personal filter before ever reaching the intended recipient, a Twitter message can ping the person’s own cell phone right in their hand – and they love it!

Because Twitter messages are short & sweet, what could have been a long and detailed email turns into a very to-the-point message that’s easy to get across.

Tweets, properly constructed, give all the important info in the amount of time it takes to sip your coffee in the morning. If the person is interested, they can use the info in your Twitter profile to find out more.

Partnering with high-profile people can give you access to their audiences, make you look high-profile yourself, and can expand your network of other bloggers in your industry. All good things that can lead to traffic now and down the road.

2. Twitter can show new readers that your blog is a happening place – and that you’re a real person.

Let’s just face it – most readers don’t want to subscribe to a dead blog. Posting once every other month just isn’t good enough reason for readers to subscribe, as they’re better off searching the internet for cooking inspiration than waiting for a new post to come out.

So when someone new comes across your Twitter profile, they want to see stuff goin’ on. Shares from other blogs, new content you’ve posted this week, and short quips about your daily life is all it takes to show the (twitter)world that your blog is a happening place.

And plus, in all this activity, your new Twitter finds are going to see your personality shine through – and they will love that. They’ll love it! People like to connect with people, not some robot on the other side of the screen. Tweets make it personal.

3. You can interact with your readers on a real level.

Gone are the days when you started all conversations with “Dear Sally,” or “To whom it may concern.” You’re probably better off hand-writing a letter and sending it with your personalized wax seal via snail mail.

Today, people wanted to be treated just like that – as people. So when you go to write your 140 characters, you aren’t going to waste space with formalities. Your 140 characters are to-the-point and make it feel like you are talking to a close friend, not someone you’ve never met before.

This makes your Twitter conversations feel real, and help you connect on a personal level with your readers. And like I mentioned before, people like to connect with people.

4. You can provide insight in your expertise.

This one is huge. Twitter popularized the use of hashtags as keywords. This lets you browse the twitternet for everything related to your hashtag of choice.

If you are interested in elephants, simply search for that tag on twitter and find yourself right in the middle of conversations all about elephants.

It’s like walking into a giant party and easily navigating to the people who want to talk about the same exact things you want to talk about. It’s incredible!

This easy access to meaningful conversations also means that you can reach out in a constructive way to others who might appreciate your thoughts on a topic.

If someone tweets wondering what the conservation status of their favorite elephant is, you can certainly help them out! If you know about elephants, that is. This constructive conversation might lead that person to your elephantastic blog, and you’ve got yourself a new reader.

And why is that? Because you care about what they care about. It’s personal.

The take home message:

Twitter is personal – and that’s the power it holds to help you grow your blog. Partnering with high-profile bloggers, providing consistent information to your followers, connecting with your readers, and engaging in conversations to help others are just some of the ways Twitter can help you grow.

By harnessing its powers as a personal communication platform, you can really make Twitter work for you.

What are your experiences with Twitter? How has it helped you grow your blog? Let me know in the comments below!