Don’t believe me? Spend a few hours following knowledgeable people (creating a good network is the key to success on Twitter).

Ask a question. See the responses you get. I started a podcast at BeatBlogging.Org a few months ago, and before I started, I asked my Twitter followers for advice.

What’s the best way to cheaply interview people around the country? What’s good recording software? Where should I host my podcast?

I got lots of suggestions. Twitter allowed me to start my podcast in no time, and I got good advice on what to try and what to avoid. Because of this, BeatBlogging.Org hit the ground running with a great podcast.

No expensive consultants needed. Check out my latest post on Wired Journalists about how to quickly, easily and cheaply start a podcast. Thank my Twitter followers after you read it.

My Twitter community (everyone’s is different) is always helping me by answering questions and posting informative links. It makes my life and job so much easier.

The level of noise in your Twitter feed is directly related to who you choose to follow. It’s not personal. It’s Twitter.

And the caliber of responses you get back is directly related to the caliber of tweets you make. Want knowledgeable followers? Create value for your followers.

Tweet informative links. Start conversations on Twitter. Respond to people when they ask questions.

Twitter is ultimately all about community. The quality of your Twitter community depends on whether or not you really want to be a part of a community. If you only use Twitter for marketing of content that you create elsewhere, you’ll lose out on a lot of what Twitter is really all about.

I would encourage all journalists to get on Twitter. Trust me, you’ll learn a lot.