I finally caved. After months of resisting, I gave in last week and started “Tweeting.” If I thought the pressure to join twitter was strong, it’s nothing compared to the resistance movement that has emerged by those who are dead-set against using it. Usually citing a lack of time for such nonsense, many of these individuals are convinced that being on Twitter means that you suddenly start making announcements to the world whenever you’re going to the bathroom.

I must admit, I had some of the same reservations myself about using Twitter. At first glance, it’s difficult to imagine a compelling business reason for randomly sending out short text messages to a group of individuals who have chosen to follow you because they have some bizarre interest in what you have to say. Note the term “business reason.” It’s easy to see how such a tool could be popular among teens and other individuals with nothing but time on their hands to exchange jokes and share the latest gossip. Frankly, I’ve got better things to do and there are some aspects of my personal life which are…um…personal. This is the reason I have never jumped on the MySpace bandwagon. But, are social networking tools such as Twitter and LinkedIn actually good for business? I would argue that they are indeed and anyone responsible for getting and keeping customers should have a strategy for using the social networks for business development and professional relationship management.

Does maintaining a presence on the social networks require a dedicated effort and a certain amount of your precious time? Absolutely, but what activity that’s worth doing doesn’t require your attention? It’s amazing how many people create a LinkedIn profile and just sit back expecting others to seek them out - talk about a waste of time. While maintaining an active presence does require some effort, it’s not as time consuming as one might think. I typically spend about 15 minutes each day managing my profile, adding connections, and checking the status of my network on LinkedIn. I look at who is doing what and communicate with my connections as appropriate using the online messaging tools. LinkedIn has become my number one source of leverage for organizing and staying in touch with my professional network. The time invested has paid off exponentially as my online network has grown.

Similarly, I’m finding that Twitter doesn’t require as much time as I thought it would. By linking my Twitter account to my Blackberry, I can check on my friends and send out “tweets” from just about anywhere - waiting for the train, sitting at a stop light, or (dare I say) in the restroom (you know you do it!). Like LinkedIn, the key to success with Twitter is being an active participant in the game, not just sitting on the sidelines. It doesn’t take much time, but it does require regular attention.

Business people who are active on the online social networks are great people to know. They’re great to know because they get it. They understand the importance of maintaining professional relationships and staying in front of their contacts. They understand that helping others and sharing information ensures that their network is there for them when they need help. Consequently, their network of valuable contacts is usually substantial. These super connectors recognize that tools such as LinkedIn and Twitter provide leverage to help them succeed. Therefore, in order to connect with them, you need to be an active participant yourself.

It’s difficult to comprehend the power of online social networking without experiencing it firsthand. I have been loosely acquainted with a commercial real estate broker for several years. It has only been in recent months that we have become connected online - watching each other’s updates, exchanging brief messages, and sharing access to our individual networks. Last week, we finally met in person for the first time in a long time and it was as if we were the best of friends. The conversation was natural and free-flowing; there was no need for small talk or “catching up.” Our online activities served to bridge the relationship gap and strengthen an otherwise weak connection.

Participation in online social networking has become essential for anyone wanting to get the most out of their business development efforts. Need a little help getting started? Let’s connect at http://www.linkedin.com/in/ajwhitaker or you can follow me at http://twitter.com/ajwhitaker.