Tweetburner is a Web service that allows you to shorten a URL, post it to your Twitter account, and follow statistics about clicks on that URL. Twitter has made the link shortening tool easy to add to your favorites list. There is no need to log into your account to create a short "twurl."

You will find Tweetburner fun to use even if you don't have a Twitter account since the twurl can be copied and pasted anywhere. Clickthrough rates on twurls has a correlation to the number of followers a Twitter user has. The fewer followers one has, the more likely it is that all of those followers will check out the link posted.

1. Keep track of what happens to the links you share with other users.

2. Tweetburner has statistics, so if you have an interest in that area, Tweetburner stats are available to the public as well as Twitter users.

3. Twitter users find twurls useful to use - shorter is better with Twitter after all - but twurls are also fun to track.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Try Tweetburner for yourself -- with or without a Twitter account

Simply enter a URL of any length into the text box, click 'Shorten it!,' and a twurl will appear. This shortened URL, which always contains 'twurl.nl,' can be posted to your Twitter account with the click of the mouse. The shortened URL can also be copied and pasted anywhere else you'd like to use it.

I recommend: Shorten any long URL on the Tweetburner site. Create your free Twitter account by creating a username and password on the Twitter.com website and have the twurl posted to your account so you can start letting other people access it.

Delve in with more Tweetburner information and helpful resources

If you're stumped about how to get the most out of Tweetburner and you'd like a dose of Tweetburner advice, online assistance is available. Tweetburner is considered a 'Web mashup' because it's a Web application that uses information from one or more sources and presents it in a new way.

I recommend: Access the online Tweetburner customer service and support area to get Tweetburner help from a Twitter employee. Once you've used one mashup you may be ready to try others. Twitter has a lot to choose from and Frantic Industries makes them accessible from one location.

Discover other tools that work well with Tweetburner

Twitter is full of cool tools that help a Twitter user organize their thoughts, followers and messages. There are also many third party tools that integrate with Twitter to give you any search-related experience you seek.

I recommend: Download Tweetdeck to group people you are following into categories. This can be fun in tracking certain links you post by area of interest. You can use Twitscoop to search any conversation based on a keyword, username or URL. It is easily accessible and doesn't require a download.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Tweetburner is similar to tinyurl in that both tools take long URLs and shorten them. The difference between the two software tools is that Tweetburner URLs are easy to track.