Twittering is not just for the birds anymore, and it hasn’t been since the microblogging service made a splashy debut at the South by Southwest technology conference more than a year ago. Since then, Twitter use has grown leaps and bounds—and not just with the Gen Y crowd. These days, it seems like everyone is networking through 140-character messages called “tweets”—including business owners.

If you’re new to Twitter, you might be asking yourself how the service can actually be useful as a business tool. While Hammock is experimenting with Twitter as a content management tool on websites (like the website we built for the NFIB/eBay National Small Business Summit), for most individuals, the answer is simple: Twitter keeps you hyper-connected to clients, employees and colleagues, one tweet at a time. Here are a few reasons why adding Twitter to your business toolbox can enhance your business:

Stay in touch with employees. If you’re running late for a business meeting or need to send a short reminder to employees, Twitter keeps you well connected to everyone who follows you on the site. Struck in traffic during a long commute? Stop for coffee on your way to the office? Send a tweet via text message so the entire company knows exactly when you’ll be at your desk and ready to work.

Connect to clients. No matter what kind of business opportunity you’re looking for, it starts with connecting to people—and in today’s fast-paced world, people want immediate answers to their questions. That’s why companies like Comcast and H&R Block have started using Twitter to offer customer service in real time. (You can follow Comcast and H&R Block on Twitter, too.)

Share news. Follow like-minded business owners to help each other stay on top of the latest news and marketing trends in your industry.

Make business contacts. Thanks to the skyrocketing popularity of social networking services like Twitter, making business connections is no longer something you do at cocktail parties and industry trade shows. Follow people in your industry and let them follow you. And don’t be afraid to alert your followers when you’ve experienced business growth. Land a new client? Unleash a new product? Update your Web site? Send out links that point to your success to expand your business’ reach.