There have been about a million articles written by social-media experts about Twitter and how amazing it is, how to use it to get more business, how to make $1 million a year from it, and so on. I've been on Twitter about two months and have a big 300 followers right now...so I am nobody's expert.

But I think for newbies, it might be more relatable to hear some impressions of Twitter's usefulness from somebody who's just broken into the Twitter game than from somebody with 20,000 followers. So here's my take on what twitter is good for:

#1 Twitter lets you read successful peoples' minds. On Twitter, I have a wide-open window into what some very accomplished people and publications (yeah, Chris Brogan! Guy Kawasaki! Peter Bowerman! Mashable! SmartBrief!) are musing on and reading about, as well as news of what they're doing. I have learned soooo much. I'm sure these experts have saved me untold thousands of dollars spent in inefficient marketing efforts or lame brand positioning. They also help me understand trends, which is essential for me as a reporter, and probably for most business owners of any type.

I can't imagine being able to call up these people and get them to tell me this much stuff one-on-one, even though I'm a reporter who might generate media coverage for them. I also can't think of a more efficient way to expose yourself to more ideas. If you like to start your day with some inspirational reading that'll help you do your business better, Twitter is a brain stimulation extravaganza. Just search for the people you admire, and follow.

#2 Twitter is a great place to learn. If you want to learn more about a topic -- particularly social media and how to effectively use it -- you have access to an astounding wealth of information here. I have found links to valuable free ebooks, Webinars and other great learning sources through reading posts on Twitter from people who are thought leaders in their fields.

#3 On Twitter, you can find people -- fast. Do you need to find an expert in a particular area? Or maybe want to connect with a regular person who has something in common with you -- say, owners of rare pets? Twitter's the place. As a reporter, I'm finding it an interesting place to look for article sources. Recently, I needed to find a small business owner who had applied for and failed to receive a particular new type of SBA loan I was writing about. I posted about it once, and had a great source the next day.

#4 Twitter is a great place to give away free stuff. If you have a promotional item that promotes your business, Twitter is a great place to talk about it. You can get people to your Web site, get them into your free Webinar or whatever...and probably end up with some great new clients out of it.

#5 Twitter is a great place to crowdsource. Take a poll, get people to name or review your new product. It draws people into your brand and gets them onto your site in a way that feels non-salesy.

#6 Twitter is easy to learn. Of all the social media I've played with, Twitter was by far the most intuitive and easy to get the hang of. It's pretty self-evident how to follow people, find people, see who's mentioning you, and forward tweets around. That's why it's seeing explosive growth -- and why I think it's probably the place to be in social media right now.

#7 Twitter can help you grow your business...if you're careful. You may have heard that people don't appreciate the hard-sell on Twitter, and that's no lie. I personally have unfollowed any number of people who only send tweets about what they want you to buy from them. It's obnoxious and a turn-off. It's not a coincidence that I'm listing this point last in terms of what Twitter is good for.

You can occasionally talk about your own stuff, but keep it down to a dull roar. For every six or eight interesting articles of someone else's you retweet, do one of your own.