Twitter is going places and HOW!!! Twitter has a record 105 Million registered users across the world. Promoted tweets have started appearing in Twitter search results- courtesy Twitter’s advertising platform. Even Bing has begun to integrate twitter content into its search result pages.

Bing pulls in social content generated on Twitter to surface the most relevant updates within seconds of a breaking news event. Bing analyzes what topics are generating maximum interest on Twitter to bring you the latest and most interesting content.

Today every Tom, Dick(err.. ehhmm..) and Harry are on Twitter. If used well, Twitter can really pull in a lot of traffic for your blog. With promoted tweets in sight, lord alone knows what a beast has been unleashed. 

Twitter can be used to:

a. Generate traffic for your website/ blog

b.  Receive Direct updates from your niche bloggers

c.  Interact with like minded people

d. Build a personal brand

There are a hundred thousand ways in which Twitter can be used to leverage social media. But, the most important and the most basic aspect of this micro blogging giant is the same as any other social media tool. “Having a two way conversation and building one to one relationship with your follower”.  Once your Twitter account takes off, you can use the below tools to gain more insights.

Free Twitter Analytics Tools:

1. Twitalyzer: http://www.twitalyzer.com
2. Twitter Feed: http://www.twitterfeed.com
3. Trendistic: http://trendistic.com/
4. Tweet Stats: http://tweetstats.com/
5. Tweet Effect: http://www.tweeteffect.com/
6. Tweet Beep: http://tweetbeep.com/
7. Tweeps: http://www.tweeps.info
8. Twitter Analyzer: http://twitteranalyzer.com/
9. Twinfluence: http://twinfluence.com/
10. Twitter Grader: http://twitter.grader.com/
11. Klout: http://www.klout.com/
12. Tweet Volume: http://www.tweetvolume.com/
13. Tweet Reach: http://tweetreach.com/
14. Socialmention: http://socialmention.com/
15. Socialoomph: http://www.socialoomph.com/
16. Graph Edge: http://www.graphedge.com/
17. Twitturly: http://twitturly.com/
18. Twitter Counter: http://twittercounter.com/
19. Twibuzz: http://www.twibuzz.com/
20. Twitnest: http://twitnest.appspot.com/nest/index.html
21. Tweet Rank: http://www.tweet-rank.de/
22. Twitter Polls: http://twitter.polldaddy.com/

You need to use more than one tool to get detailed insights about your twitter account. By detailed data, I mean you can come to know the number of followers gained and lost for every tweet of yours. I see your eyes going wide and mouth forming a big O!! (Thats what I had done ) My advice would be to test all tools atleast once and seperate tools which you feel are important.

Just for the record, I hate using Twitter slang. e.g:Tweeple, Analytwits. :/