A few years ago only 30% of Twitter users were still tweeting a month after sign-up. Last statistics I saw said that number was at 60%. That’s a large number of people who jump in, can’t figure out what all the fuss is about, and give-up. Not even mentioning how many people I know who still haven’t even given the popular social media platform a try, claiming it to be a waste of time.

In interviews with media, I am often asked how I feel about social media since my business is helping women connect for friendship offline. Reporters assume I’ll start ranting on how social media is hurting our relationships. While no application or website can replace face-to-face friendships, I never cease to sing the praises of online technology.

Twitter has benefitted my business by helping me:

1. Find Like-Minded Users: I am now connected to authors, reporters, bloggers and business owners who are passionate about female friendship. For those of us whose industries aren’t tangible and local, we can instantly find a community that speaks our language and cares about our causes.

2. Network in Easy Ways: Networking, among other things, is all about finding out who someone is and how you can help each other. On Twitter, I can do in one minute what it would take me ten minutes to do if I had to shake hands and exchange pleasantries at an event. I can scan their feed to get to know them and re-tweet their valuable comments to immediately promote them to my followers.

3. Increase my Blog Traffic: Every blog I mention in a tweet attracts different readers and is re-tweeted, reaching a wider audience than simply posting my blog and hoping I’m found. Twitter is like a community bulletin board where I can invite those who are interested to read whatever content of mine they value.

4. Track News in my Industry: This is no small thing! I have a column on my tweetdeck with the word “friend” set up in the search. That means that when someone I am following mentions that word their tweet will show up in that column helping me easily find research, blogs, testimonies and trends on the subject. This includes the big names like New York Times, Huffington Post and Good Morning America, but it also helps me find poignant musings by new bloggers and users in other industries.

5. Keep Tabs on my Competition: I can easily see what kind of media attention, events and ideas my competitors are promoting. No spying necessary! It helps me gauge my own success, inspire me to grow, and be more clear on what my unique advantage is that they don’t offer.

6. Promote my Brand: I tend to tweet three different kinds of tweets: general content on friendship (i.e. Did you know women replace ½ their friends every 7 years?), specific company information (i.e. Still 2 more spots in Chicago for this weekend’s event!) and interaction with others (Re-tweeting, introducing myself, swapping ideas). All my tweets stay on my topic in some way.

7. Stay Connected to My Community: One of my tweetdeck columns is for the women in my local business-networking group that I attend. Being able to quickly see what they’re tweeting in the weeks between our get-togethers, I have a good sense of what’s important to them, what they’re doing and how I might be able to partner with them in meaningful ways.

If you’re on Twitter, follow me at @girlfrndcircles and be sure to say hi!

Shasta Nelson, M.Div., life strategist & CEO of GirlFriendCircles.com (find local female friends) writes weekly on Shasta’s Friendship Blog and at Huffington Post.