Plenty of businesses look for ways to be fun or personal on social networks in order to build a market for their products. For many tweeting comedians, the medium is the message, and snagging “LOLs” on Twitter is both an art and a marketing strategy.

“It’s changed my way of looking at promotion, really,” said Tompkins. “How do I boil down my essence in this very limited amount of space to give people an idea of me and the way that I’m funny to maximum effect? It’s been an enormous boon for my career.”

Tompkins noted that Facebook Groups come in handy as well for organizing attendees at his live performances. When enough fans commit to a show in a particular city, he’ll book it and perform for them. Twitter is a way to drive people back to the Facebook Groups, and get the word out about committed performance dates.

“There’s always conjecture with social networks about ‘how long is it going to last,’ and ‘people are done with that one, now they’re on to this one.’ For people like me, it’s not all one or the other. It’s using all of them in conjunction with one another to cover all your bases. And it’s fairly easy to do,” Tompkins said.

In addition to their in-studio work, the RiffTrax crew also perform “live riffs” on movies which are simulcasted to theaters nationwide. Much of their Twitter engagement — which includes contests, giveaways, etc. — revolves around these events, and the performers tend to get the most play when tweeting with fans from their personal accounts.

“I don’t have huge numbers of followers, but I suspect a large percentage of those I do have actually care, at least a little bit,” said Nelson. “So people are happy to hear when we have events coming up.”

“We announce to our tweeps, and then they spread the word,” Murphy added. “People link up, meet up at events, tell each other about the surprise live events we’ve been known to do. It’s a hell of a lot more fun and exciting for people than looking at an ad.”

Corbett concurred. “I wouldn’t expect people to follow or enjoy a constant commercial, but I think it’s fine to promote your work in the context of a mostly for-fun account. Mike, Kevin and I all seem to follow that pattern, actually, whereas the RiffTrax account is mostly business.”

But the line between performance and promotion can be a delicate one.

“I have people unfollow me, and they’re like, ‘It’s too much self-promotion, I’m just here for the comedy, so I’m unfollowing you,’” said Tompkins. “So what you’re saying to me is, ‘Hey, you’re not giving me enough comedy for free, so I’m bailing on you.’”

“[T]he relative anonymity allows people to heckle you and run,” Nelson added.

For comic tweeters, it’s about finding the right balance. “We never really stay too serious in any of the four accounts. That would be just plain weird, given what we do,” said Corbett.

The Culture of Riff

One trend that has arisen in snarkier Twitter circles is the habit of talking back to popular culture in real-time. Tweeters riff on live television, sports, and the news regularly. And depending on who you follow, the results can be hilarious.

“Oh, I love it,” said Tompkins. “I think of Oscar night for something like that. To see a bunch of funny people all making comments in real-time as this thing’s happening — that’s like a gigantic party with the funniest people you could imagine. It’s great.”

“It has made live television relevant as fodder, I suppose. Though I’ve worked in TV, I’m delighted to see anything that makes it less passive and brain-deadening,” said Corbett. “Honestly, I’m not sure what to make of a culture where everyone riffs everything all the time. It could get so self-referential that the universe swallows itself. On the more positive side, people seem happy when they’re creative and interacting with each other, especially for some laughs. It’s hard to think of that as all bad.”

“[I]t gives the audience a voice of their own,” added Murphy. “And that’s really damn cool.”

Social Performance

Funny, audience-building tweeters, as well as established Twitter-savvy celebs can click a button and send laughs out to hundreds, even thousands of fans. There’s no gig to arrange, book to publish, or episode to shoot. It’s become a very direct and personal form of comedy for many writers.

“I think the ‘publish yourself, whenever you want!’ aspect of Twitter greatly appeals to professional writers and comedians,” said Corbett. “Most of us have the faith, and perhaps the arrogance, to believe that we are almost always worth hearing or reading. Most of us are mistaken, of course,” he added, including himself in this category. “The idea of playing whenever you want to an ever-waiting audience is rather addictive.”

Tompkins views it as a much more social experience than performing via traditional channels. “I end up thinking of it in way more intimate terms because people are talking to me directly when [they] respond to what I’ve written. I don’t think of it as 50,000+ people expectantly looking at me,” he said. “It just feels to me like I’m another person on Twitter. I read other people’s stuff, so it’s like, ‘Here’s my contribution to what everybody’s talking about.’”

The real game-changer for performers seems to be in the dialogue. “One of the things that’s been so great is to find out that my fans are funny. The people that like me are actually funny people themselves,” said Tompkins. “That’s so satisfying and so flattering. It’s like, ‘Wow, smart, funny people like what I do.’”

But Hofstetter has reservations about how much Twitter is impacting traditional comic reach. “Well, most comedians aren’t playing to thousands on [Twitter]. I don’t think it’s changing the industry, as it’s exceedingly rare for someone to get famous [from] Twitter. Typically, the famous people have a big audience and the non-famous people do not.”

The “LOL” vs. Real Live Laughter

For the average humor-tweeter who doesn’t have access to a comedy club stage or her own television show, 140-character accolades will have to suffice. But for the current generation of pros who cut their teeth on stage and screen, a retweet or an “LOL” is nice, but not quite the same as the real thing.

“It’s great to hear that people are laughing and retweeting, but a laugh from an audience is something special — sort of a neutron star of delight,” said Murphy.

“Nothing beats a real, live laugh for maximum joy in the moment, unless that laugh is from a mad scientist bent on world domination. Then it’s a little awkward,” Corbett added.

But all the comics we spoke to noted that the retweet has become something special for humorists — something that doesn’t have an exact real-world equivalent.

“What’s really gratifying to me is when people pass on the things that I’ve written,” said Tompkins. “I’m really flattered that people are passing my ‘message of comedy’ along.”

“A retweet is more gratifying than a laugh,” Hofstetter added. “It’s the equivalent of someone re-telling one of your jokes after a show. And not botching it.”

Time will tell if comics who start out in social media (on Twitter, blogs, and the like) will ever be able to reach the mainstream audiences that their predecessors did through television, film and print. We’ve already seen some crossover, and we expect more of it as newer artists use social media as a starting point, rather than a supplementary channel. For the moment though, entertainment, like all industries, straddles the line as it sorts out its digital future.

It takes only a quick glance at the most “faved” and retweeted updates to know that tweeters love the funny. The network has impacted humor for pros and amateurs alike. A good 140-character quip is a jewel in any Twitter feed.

Twitter can be a hilarious non-stop party if you tweet with the right crowd. And if you follow professional comedians who use Twitter well, you’ve got a free, live, unfiltered stand-up show right in your feed. Many humor pros have used the medium to reignite their careers and reach new fans.

But is Twitter humor different from “traditional” humor? And what happens when the television, publishing, and performance industries are set aside in favor of direct “social” comedy? We spoke with some hilarious tweeters to get their take on these trends, and on what it means to get a laugh in the digital age.

You’ve only got 140 characters to fit the setup, punchline, and some breathing room for retweets. Depending on your comedic style, Twitter might be the perfect medium, or your greatest challenge. In either case, the cap has propagated a culture of “one-liners” or “riffs,” and the funniest of the Twitterati have been hitting them home for some time. Here is a list to keep you smiling on the Twitterverse:

@arjbarker – Arj Barker is an actor and stand-up comedian. His TV credits include “Premium Blend,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” and “Comedy Central Presents.” He also co-wrote the off-Broadway show “The Marijuana-Logues” (whose title is a parody of “The Vagina Monologues”). He’s an avid Twitpic user, often sending out behind-the-scenes pictures from his current stand-up tour.

@toddbarry – Todd Barry is a stand-up comedian who has performed on a variety of TV shows, including “Late Show with David Letterman,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.” He’s performed live at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (2004), Brighton Comedy Festival (2003) and the Chicago Comedy Festival (1999), among others.

@DougBenson – Doug Benson is a comedian, actor, and self-proclaimed idiot. He’s probably best known for his role in the comedic documentary film Super High Me, in which he attempted to find out the effects of marijuana on the human body by using the drug every day for a month (not recommended). He’s incredibly active on Twitter and very engaged with his followers.

@birbigs – Mike Birbiglia is a stand-up comedian who’s released three comedy albums, including “Two Drink Mike” and “My Secret Public Journal” (which is also the name of his blog). He was also the star of his own one man off-Broadway show, “Sleepwalk with Me.”

@michaelianblack – Michael Ian Black is the host of the Comedy Central show “Reality Bites Back,” a member of the comedy trio “Stella,” and has appeared in numerous TV shows (including “Ed,” “Reaper,” VH1’s “I Love the…” series, and “Reno 911!”) and films (Wedding Daze and Run, Fat Boy, Run). He’s also released a comedy album and a book, “My Custom Van…And 50 Other Mind-Blowing Essays That Will Blow Your Mind All Over Your Face.”

@patrickborelli – Patrick Borelli is a writer and comedian. His writing credits include “McSweeney’s Quarterly,” “The Onion,” and several Comedy Central shows, and he’s the co-author of the well-reviewed book “Holy Headshot.” He’s made appearances on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “Best Week Ever” on VH1, and “Premium Blend,” on Comedy Central.

@rustyrockets – Russell Brand is an English comedian and actor. His television credits include presenting “Dance Floor Chart” on MTV, starring in “RE:Brand,” a British comedy documentary program, a number of “Big Brother” spinoff shows, and hosting the “2008 MTV Video Music Awards.” He also starred in the film Bedtime Stories alongside Adam Sandler, writes for The Guardian, published an autobiography, and has recorded a number of songs. .

@RealRobBrydon – Rob Brydon is a British actor whose comedy credits include “Gavin and Stacey,” “Rob Brydon’s Annually Retentive,” “Human Remains,” “Little Britain,” and “The Keith Barrett Show.” .

@boburnham – Bo Burnham is an Internet celebrity and singer-songwriter of satirical and comedic songs. He’s released three comedy albums, “Bo Fo Sho” (released only online), “Welcome to YouTube,” and “Bo Burnham” (which also contained the DVD of his “Comedy Central Presents” show). His YouTube channel has received more than 40 million views. .

@AlanCarr – Alan Carr is a British stand-up comedian and media personality. His television credits include “The Sunday Night Project,” “Never Mind the Buzzcocks,” “8 Out of 10 Cats,” and “Alan Carr’s Celebrity Ding Dong.” He regularly does stand-up performances, both on television and on tour. .

@jimmycarr – Jimmy Carr is a stand-up comedian whose television credits include “The Graham Norton Show,” “Annually Retentive,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” and “QI.” He’s won four LAFTA Awards (2008, 2007, 2005, and 2004, two for Best Stand Up and two for Funniest Man), and his first three comedy DVDs have sold more than 650,000 copies. .

@kylecease – Kyle Cease is a comedian and actor whose movie credits include 10 Things I Hate About You and Not Another Teen Movie. He’s also released two comedy albums and had numerous television appearances, including on VH1’s “Super Secret Movie Rules,” “Comedy Central Presents,” and “Reality Bites Back.” .

@margaretcho – Comedian, actress, author, and fashion designer Margaret Cho is also an active Twitter user. She often tweets observations about her day and links to her blog posts. She is currently filming a comedy/drama series for Lifetime called, “Drop Dead Diva.” .

@cklouis – Louis C.K. is a stand-up comedian, Emmy Award-winning writer, director, and actor. He’s been a writer for “Late Show with David Letterman,” “The Chris Rock Show,” “The Dana Carvey Show,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” and the “MTV Movie Awards.” His other writing credits include the films I Think I Love My Wife, Pootie Tang, Tomorrow Night, and Down to Earth. .

@JohnCleese – John Cleese is probably best known for being a member of Monty Python. He appeared in all four of the Monty Python films, along with numerous other film and television appearances. He’s also been nominated for an Academy Award (for A Fish Called Wanda), a Golden Globe Award (A Fish Called Wanda, again), six BAFTA Awards (two of which he won), four Primetime Emmy Awards (one of which he won) and a Writers Guild of America award.

@diablocody – Diablo Cody is an Academy Award and BAFTA-winning screenwriter, blogger, author and journalist best known for writing the screenplay for Juno (for which she won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay). She’s also the writer and creator for “United States of Tara,” which airs on Showtime.

@danecook – Dane Cook is a stand-up comedian and actor. He’s released five comedy albums, including “Harmful if Swallowed” and “Isolated Incident.” He’s starred in the films My Best Friend’s Girl, Employee of the Month, and Good Luck Chuck. He’s also been on “Comedy Central Presents” and “The Late Show.”

@robcorddry – Rob Corddry is probably best-known for his role as a correspondent on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” (he took over “This Week in God” when Stephen Colbert left to host his own show). His other work includes starring in the Fox comedy “The Winner,” starring in the movie Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story, and roles in Old School, Blades of Glory, Semi-Pro, and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” He now writes, directs, and stars in the WB web series “Children’s Hospital.”

@D_Cummins – Dan Cummins is a stand-up comedian who performs regularly on the college circuit. He’s also been featured on “The Late, Late Show,” Comedy Central’s “Live at Gotham,” “Comedy Central Presents,” and “Last Comic Standing.” .

@alandavies1 – Alan Davies is an English comedian, actor, and writer. He’s best known as the star of the mystery series “Jonathan Creek.” Currently, he’s a permanent panelist on the comedy quiz show “QI,” and is working on his memoir.

@TheEllenShow – Ellen Degeneres is much more than just the second most followed person on Twitter. She’s also a twelve-time Emmy Award-winning stand-up comic, TV personality, actress, and writer. She currently hosts the syndicated talk show, “The Ellen Degeneres Show,” had her own sitcom in the mid-90s, and has an impressive television and film resume, including appearances on “Will and Grace,” “Roseanne,” “Mad About You,” and as the voice of Dory in the Pixar animated feature, Finding Nemo. She was the host of the 79th Academy Awards in 2007.

@frandrescher – Fran Drescher is an Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated comedian and actress, best known for her television role on the 1990s sitcom, “The Nanny.” She has a long list of television and film credits to her name, but more recently has become an advocate of cancer prevention and early detection. In 2000, she was diagnosed with uterine cancer and wrote about her experience in her book “Cancer Schmancer.” She launched a non-profit organization dedicated to cancer prevention education in 2007 under the same name.

@jimmyfallon – Jimmy Fallon is the host of “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” on NBC. He was a featured cast member on “Saturday Night Live” from 1998-2004, where he hosted the Weekend Update sketch and had various recurring characters. His other credits include a number of films, television shows, and a comedy album. There’s also a Twitter feed for his Late Night show: @LateNightJimmy.

@mitchfatel – Mitch Fatel is a stand-up comedian based in New York. He’s performed on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “Comedy Central Presents,” and the “Late Show with David Letterman.” He also works as a regular correspondent on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” He’s released two comedy albums: “Miniskirts & Muffins” and “Super Retardo.”

@friedmanjon – Jon Friedman is a producer, writer and comedian who’s currently a writer and blogger for “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.” He’s written for “McSweeney’s,” “Paper Magazine,” and “The Huffington Post,” and recently published a book titled, “Rejected: Tales of the Failed, Dumped and Canceled.”

@stephenfry – Stephen Fry is an English comedian, actor, author, film director, and television producer. He co-wrote and co-starred in a comedy act with Hugh Laurie (of “House” fame) in “A Bit of Fry and Laurie,” is the host of British comedy show “QI” and played Melchett in “Blackadder,” among many, many other television and film credits. He’s a prolific writer with four novels and six other books under his belt, along with a number of plays, screenplays, musicals, and television scripts.

@jimgaffigan – Jim Gaffigan is a comedian, writer, and actor. His film and TV credits include Road Trip, “That ’70s Show,” Super Troopers, 17 Again, and he currently stars in the cable comedy series, “My Boys.” An avid user of Twitpic, Gaffigan often shares pictures of his food.

@lindagambino – Linda Gambino is a stand-up comedian from the midwest. She was voted the “Funniest Person in Cincinnati” in 2006.

@james_gunn – James Gunn is a screenwriter whose film credits include the Scooby-Doo movies, the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead, and SLiTHER. He was the first screenwriter to ever have back-to-back #1-for-the-weekend box office hits (with Dawn of the Dead and Scooby-Doo 2).

@chelsealately – Chelsea Handler is a comic, best-selling author, and actress who currently hosts “Chelsea Lately,” a late-night comedy show on the E! network. She is also the author of two best-selling books, “My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands” and “Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea.”

@nerdist – Chris Hardwick is a stand-up comedian and member of the duo “Hard ‘n Phirm” with Mike Phirman. He was featured on the compilation comedy CD “Comedy Death Ray,” both with his solo act and with “Hard ‘n Phirm.” He’s more commonly known, though, for his work on Nerdist.

@johnheffron – John Heffron won the second season of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” and has also made appearances on “Comedy Central Presents” and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” He has three albums and a board game.

@timheidecker – Tim Heidecker is an actor and comedian. He’s one half of the comedy duo “Tim & Eric” with Eric Wareheim. His TV credits include “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!,” “Tom Goes to the Mayor,” and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.”

@Herring1967 – Richard Herring is a comedian and writer from London. His tweets largely revolve around promoting his written work (like his blog), though he is fairly engaged with followers as well.

@mrdavehill – Dave Hill is a writer, musician, actor and comedian who has appeared on numerous comedy TV programs on networks including TLC, Comedy Central, VH1, and Court TV. He’s also the star of “King of Miami” on the MOJO network.

@hodgman – John Hodgman is probably best known for his appearances on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” or his role as the PC in the Mac vs. PC series of Apple television commercials. He’s also been the Humor Editor for the New York Times Magazine, a Comic Book Reviewer for the New York Times Book Review and an advice columnist for McSweeney’s. He’s the author of the book “The Areas of My Expertise.”

@mfhorne – Mathew Horne, an English comedian and actor, was nominated for Best Male Comedy Newcomer at the 2007 British Comedy Awards. He is known for numerous appearances on sketch comedy shows and sitcoms in Britain, such as the BBC’s “Gavin & Stacey,” and has recently begun to perform dramatically on stage.

@robhuebel – Rob Huebel is a comedian, producer, writer, and actor. His television work includes “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “Upright Citizens Brigade,” and “Human Giant” on MTV. He also had a cameo in the Mike Myers film “The Love Guru.” He tends to tweet comedic observations about his day.

@eddieifft – Eddie Ifft is a stand-up comedian who’s been featured on a number of different TV shows, including “Last Comic Standing II,” BET’s “Comic View,” “Never Mind the Buzzcocks” on VH1, “Chelsea Lately,” and “Premium Blend.” He’s performed with Jerry Seinfeld, Dave Chappelle, Robin Williams, and Chris Rock, and has released two comedy albums: “I Learned the Hard Way” and “Jokes That Make My Friends Laugh.”

@eddieizzard – Eddie Izzard is a British stand-up comedian and Emmy Award-winning dramatic actor. He’s known for being what he terms an “executive transvestite,” cross-dressing both on-stage and off. He’s done a number of live stand-up tours and has numerous television and film credits.

@jakeandamir – This is the joint account for Amir Blumenfeld and Jake Hurwitz, the comedy duo known as “Jake and Amir,” who write and create online comedy sketches for CollegeHumor.

@JenKirkman – Jen Kirkman is a writer, actor and stand-up comedian. Her TV stand-up credits include Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend,” “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” and NBC’s “Late Friday.” She was also a regular cast member on “Acceptable TV” on VH1. She performs regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, The Hollywood Improv, and Largo. Entertainment Weekly recently named her one of the “12 Rising Stars of Comedy.”

@julieklausner – Julie Klausner is a writer, stand-up comedian, and actress. Her writing credits include “Robert Smigel’s TV Funhouse” on Saturday Night Live, “The Big Gay Sketch Show” on LOGO, and a number of Internet shorts. She creates comic books (such as “Animal Party”), and her writing has appeared in “Time Out New York” and “The Huffington Post.” She’s also had a number of on-air TV credits, including “Best Week Ever” on VH1 and some small parts on “Saturday Night Live.”

@thelonelyisland – The Lonely Island is a comedy troupe co-founded by “Saturday Night Live” star Andy Samberg. His duet with pop singer Justin Timberlake, “D*ck in a Box,” won an Emmy and was one of the most viewed videos of all time on the web, and his “Jizz in my Pants” video was named by Mashable as one of the Top 20 Video Memes of all time. He’s helped to create some of the web’s most viral videos.

@RealMattLucas – Matt Lucas is an English comedian, writer and actor best known for his work on the show “Little Britain.” He recently made headlines in the UK tabloids for dressing up as reality TV sensation Susan Boyle.

@joeymedinacomic – Joey Medina was one of the stars of the 2002 film The Original Latin Kings of Comedy, along with George Lopez and Cheech Marin. Medina is an active Twitter user, and is about to go to Iraq for the third time to perform for US troops stationed there.

@carlosmencia – Carlos Mencia received his big break in 1994 when he hosted HBO’s Lsatino comedy showcase, “Loco Slam.” He was the host of his own show on Comedy Central, “Mind of Mencia,” and is an active Twitter user, tweeting his brand of acerbic, no-holds-barred, political and racial humor.

@80miles – A.D. Miles is a TV and film actor whose credits include Comedy Central’s “Dog Bites Man,” “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!” the cult classic Wet Hot American Summer, and Role Models.

@timminchin – Tim Minchin is a comedian, actor, musician and writer from Australia. His television credits include “The World Stands Up” and “The Sideshow.” He’s also released three live comedy albums and a DVD.

@EugeneMirman – Eugene Mirman, who bills himself as “the world’s foremost Eugene-named entertainer,” is a stand-up comedian, writer and filmmaker. His television credits include “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “Comedy Central Presents,” “Third Watch,” “The Daughter of the Devil,” and Cartoon Network’s “Home Movies.” He’s released four comedy albums.

@RealDMitchell – David Mitchell is half of the British comedy duo Mitchell and Webb. He starred in the BAFTA award-winning sketch comedy show, “That Mitchell and Webb Look,” and the sketch show, “The Mitchell and Webb Situation,” and stars in the British sitcom, “Peep Show.” He tweets about his writing, podcasts, and generally funny observations.

@justinmoorhouse – British comedian and radio DJ Justin Moorhouse is currently a presenter on Key 103 radio in Manchester. He has also appeared on the BAFTA-nominated British sitcom “Phoenix Nights.”

@phirm – Mike Phirman is half of a comedy duo called “Hard ‘n Phirm,” along with Chris Hardwick. They’ve performed together at Improv, the Aspen Comedy Festival, the Bubmershoot Festival, the Punch Line, and South by Southwest. Television credits include “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and VH1’s “I Love the…” series.

@kevinpollak – Kevin Pollak is an actor, comedian and impressionist. His first big acting role was in the George Lucas film Willow in 1988. His other film credits include The Usual Suspects, Grumpy Old Men, and The Whole Nine Yards. Pollak hosted his own HBO comedy special in 1992 called, “Stop With the Kicking: Kevin Pollak in Concert.”

@thebrianposehn – Brian Posehn is a comedian and actor best known for his role as the mail clerk on “Just Shoot Me,” and for his characters on the HBO sketch comedy show, “Mr. Show.” He also regularly appears on “The Sarah Silverman Program,” and has done a lot of voice over work.

@Wossy – Jonathan Ross is an English radio and TV presenter. He’s the host of “Friday Night with Jonathan Ross,” was a panelist on “They Think It’s All Over,” and was the host of the “British Comedy Awards” from 1991-2007. He was also the creator and host of “The Last Resort with Jonathan Ross,” based on “Late Night with David Letterman.”

@mattruby – Matt Ruby is a stand-up comedian who’s a regular commentator on MTV’s “FNMTV” and the co-host of the live comedy talk show and podcast “We’re All Friends Here.” Ruby performed at the 2009 SXSW Festival. He runs Sandpaper Suit, a comedy blog.

@scharpling – Tom Scharpling is the host of the 3-hour comedy, music and talk radio program “The Best Show on WFMU,” broadcast on Tuesday nights on the New Jersey-based radio station WFMU. He’s also a writer and executive producer for the USA Network series “Monk” and has written for “The Onion.”

@paulscheer – Paul Scheer is a writer, actor, producer, and comedian. His film credits include The Onion Movie, Meet Dave, and Bride Wars. He’s appeared on “Reno 911,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” and Adult Swim’s “Fat Guy Stuck in Internet.” He was a member of “Chicago City Limits” and “Upright Citizens Brigade Theater,” and he was named one of the “Top 10 Comics to Watch” in 2006 by Variety magazine.

@thelovemaster – Avid social media user and stand-up comedian Craig Shoemaker has made television appearances on “Comic Relief” and “Comedy Central Presents,” and recently won the XM radio award for Best Stand-up Comic.

@mshowalter – Michael Showalter is a comedian, actor, writer, director, and member of the comedy trio “Stella.” He co-wrote and starred in Wet Hot American Summer, which became a cult classic. He also did a brief stint as a correspondent for “The Daily Show” in 1996 and has had various other TV appearances. He released his first comedy album, “Sandwiches & Cats,” on the non-profit record label JDub Records.

@SarahKSilverman – Sarah Silverman is an American comedian, writer, actress, and singer. She has a long list of television and film appearances to her credit, including “Frasier,” “Seinfeld,” “Futurama,” “Monk,” School for Scoundrels and School of Rock. She was also a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” in the early 1990s, and currently stars in her own show on Comedy Central aptly titled, “The Sarah Silverman Program.” Like her show, her tweets are often NSFW.

@maxsilvestri – Max Silvestri is a stand-up comedian who regularly performs at the “Big Terrific” comedy show and makes regular videos for Details magazine. Most of his tweets are jokes (and very funny ones at that).

@traciskene – Traci Skene has been a stand-up comedian since 1985, and is the editor and co-founder of online comedy magazine SheckyMagazine.com.

@ThatKevinSmith – Kevin Smith is a writer, actor, producer, and director probably best known for his role as “Silent Bob” in movies such as Clerks, Dogma, Mall Rats, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (all of which he wrote and directed). His more recent work includes writing and directing Zack and Miri Make a Porno and acting in Live Free or Die Hard and Catch and Release.

@JoshSneed – Josh Sneed has been featured on “Comedy Central Presents” and placed 2nd out of 100 contestants in Comedy Central’s “Annual Stand-up Showdown.” He also placed 6th out of 2000 contestants in the Sierra Mist/MySpace Stand-up or Sit Down Challenge.

@nickthune – Nick Thune is a stand-up comedian, writer, and actor whose television credits include a half hour special on Comedy Central (as well as a series of online short films for the network) and two appearances on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” He often uses Twitpic to tweet pictures with humorous captions.

@PFTompkins – Paul F. Tompkins is a comedian and actor, and currently hosts the show “Best Week Ever” on VH1. He’s released two comedy albums, “Impersonal” and “Comedy Death-Ray.” He tweets about his show and is very engaged with his followers.

@aishatyler – Aisha Tyler was the first female African-American host of “Talk Soup” on E! She’s also had roles on a variety of TV shows, including “Friends,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Reno 911!,” and appearances on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” and “Late Night with David Letterman.” She got her start as a stand-up comic.

@davidwain – David Wain is a comedian, actor, director and writer, best known for his movies Role Models and the cult classic Wet Hot American Summer. He’s also a founding member of the comedy trio “Stella,” was a writer on “MADtv,” and is the creator of the television series “Wainy Days.”

@misterwallace – London-based writer Danny Wallace wrote the book that became the 2008 Jim Carrey film Yes Man, and has numerous television credits to his name. He’s very active on Twitter, tweeting about his writing and life.

@RealRobertWebb – Robert Webb is one half of the British comedy duo Mitchell and Webb. He currently stars in the Channel 4 sitcom “Peep Show,” and has written in and starred in numerous television shows, including the BAFTA award-winning sketch comedy show, “That Mitchell and Webb Look.”

@GitRDoneLarry – Daniel Whitney, a.k.a. Larry the Cable Guy is a stand-up comedian and actor best known for his catch phrase, “Git ‘r done.” He was a member of the “Blue Collar Comedy Tour,” the creator of five comedy albums (three of which went gold), and the voice of “Mater,” in the hit Disney/Pixar film Cars.

@rainnwilson – Rainn Wilson is best known for his role as Dwight Schrute on “The Office.” His other TV and film credits include Almost Famous, Galaxy Quest, House of 1000 Corpses, The Last Mimzy, My Super Ex-Girlfiend, and “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!” He has hosted “Saturday Night Live,” and co-created the site Soul Pancake, which aims to “make discussions about Spirituality, Creativity, and Philosophy cool again.”

@jwoliner – Jason Woliner is a comedy writer and director. He’s a non-performing member of “Human Giant” on MTV and the director of the majority of their shows.

@alyankovic – Al Yankovic, better known as “Weird Al,” has been producing comedic parody songs since 1979. He’s the number one comedian of all time, in terms of record sales, with over 12 million albums sold as of 2007. Many of his songs have become cult classics, such as “Smells Like Nirvana” (a parody of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”) or “Like a Surgeon” (a parody of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin”). Yankovic has won 3 Grammy awards for his 17 albums, and has made a number of appearances in films and television shows.

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"What makes Twittrafficpro stand out is how easy it is to use. You don't have to manage multiple clients to efficiently grow your brand on Twitter. One stop. You're done!".

—MIRANDA LEE

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Create your account, sign in with your Twitter username and password and you are ready to roll. This set up takes only five minutes – and you’ll be synched in every time. Now you can participate on Twitter in just 2 hours a week or 10 minutes a day!

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Twittrafficpro saves you hours of tedious trial and error, finding the best tools for brand marketing. Get the tips, tools and tutorials you need to increase sales with Twitter. With Twittrafficpro, you can focus on making smart decisions, not on managing tools.

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You can see the value in actively participating on Social Media but simply don't have the time, Twittrafficpro is for you. Be more efficient with automated systems to help you preschedule your messages and post tweets. Save and reuse drafts saving hours of typing. You can even pre-schedule a nice birthday or anniversary tweet to your Twitter friends, or Clients. Plan, set and forget. With Twittrafficpro you can stay active without actually being active.

If you keep hearing about social media and Twitter and how you must get active to get ahead yet you’re feeling stuck, confused and overwhelmed, Twittrafficpro will help you.

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If you’re looking for some inspiration for your Twitter background,  here are unique and inspiring Twitter backgrounds.

You can also check out this comprehensive list and discover some on your own.

You don’t have to spend an obscene amount of time to make a great background. It’s all about making a background that’s perfect for you, not for anyone else.

Doug Cone (@nullvariable): Doug, a web designer and consultant, brilliantly integrates his face with his brand and contact information in this spacey theme.

CoolTweets (@cooltweets): CoolTweets, which collects, well, the coolest tweets on the web, gets an A for its simple and clean layout. Perfect for many brands.

Justine Ezeraik (@ijustine): This popular new media star has a balanced theme that perfectly reflects her brand.

Kristi Colvin (@kriscolvin): Kristi opted to create a beautiful mosaic of color and life. I could stare at it all day.

Loic Le Meur (@loic): No, it’s not that Loic’s background is the most amazing, most complex, or most visually appealing image in the world. It’s that his background reflects who he is – a smiling, personal, fun-loving guy…who also happens to be the founder of seesmic desktop.

There are literally hundreds of great Twitter backgrounds. Yours will soon be one of them!

The Twitter background is a key medium for self-expression, personal branding and buzz. It’s a chance to express yourself, define who you are to your audience and plug your contact info or pitch your product.

Your background image is important so its definitely worth doing right. You can get inspiration from Inspiredology.com or create one easily with a simple tool when you join Twittrafficpro.com.

Now that you understand the reasons for creating a background and are feeling inspired, there are a couple of things you need to know about custom Twitter backgrounds.

1. Determine your strategic objective.

What would you like to accomplish with your brand? Who is your target audience? What brand elements do you think your target audience will respond favorably to? Which elements showcase your talents and skill set? Customize your Twitter background with that in mind.

2. Determine the best dimensions.

The total image size should be about 1600px wide by 1200px tall.

The actual dimensions are important because improperly-sized images can be covered up by your Twitter profile. You want your background to be as large as possible without tiling with leads to an undesired effect. 1600px by 1200px encompasses almost all screen resolutions.

Most popular Twitter backgrounds have a left hand column, which is where the eye first lands, which a potential follower views your profile. Make sure that that column small enough not to be covered up by the central Twitter content. Designers suggest you keep this column smaller than 200px or 235px. Croncast gives great tips on the best dimensions.

3. Upload your background to Twitter.

This is the simple part.  Go to Settings, then Design. Click Change Background Image. You can now browse your computer and add any image you’d like, as long as it’s under 800k in size.

Remember, building your ideal background often requires trial-and-error.  You must take chances and learn from the results, and even if  you’re not a designer, you can do it. There are free tools to help when you join Twittrafficpro.com.

Join Twittrafficpro for a comprehensive list

Why is creating a custom Twitter background worth the effort? There are a range of benefits to making your backdrop your own. The Twitter background is a key medium for self-expression, personal branding and buzz. If you’re new to Twitter, or just never took the time to create your own Twitter background, this guide is for you. We will delve into the rationale of creating a personalized Twitter background and provide a list of useful Twitter design tools and resources.

So why create a custom Twitter background? Here are a few good reasons:

1. Personalization and expression: It’s a chance to express yourself and who you are. Both the creative and the brand- conscious can - and have - benefited from unique background designs. Whether you are an artist, a musician, blogger, or a cook, a Mac lover or tree hugger a unique backdrop can really help people understand who you are.

2. Plug your contact info or pitch your product: Your Twitter background is an easy way to add additional information to your 160 character bio.

3. Stand up and stand out: A Twitter background is the ultimate personal branding tool. Having your contact information, your face, or additional bio information helps potential followers understand what you do and why you are someone people should follow.

4. Blast back to the past: Remember your elementary school art class or doodling at summer camp? Designing your Twitter gives you a great opportunity to tap into your artistic creativity and push the limits of your talents.

When Ashton Kutcher and CNN were racing to be the first to get one million Twitter followers, Kutcher pledged 10,000 malaria nets for Malaria No More if he reached the big number first. He won, so now he’s making good on that promise. 89,724 malaria nets will be distributed in total, thanks to word-of-mouth on Twitter.

Malaria No More’s campaign went viral on Twitter on World Malaria Day 2009, and the current Twitter initiative will conclude just in time for World Malaria Day 2010. The most retweeted message last World Malaria Day was: “Every 30 seconds a child dies from Malaria. Nets save lives. Support World Malaria Day. www.MalariaNoMore.org.”

The nets will be distributed in the Senagalese towns of Seraya and Vélingara; each person at risk for malaria will get a net to protect him or her from the mosquitoes that carry the disease.

At the 2010 People’s Choice awards, Kutcher, who has now exceeded four million followers, said “The true reward of the race to a million followers on Twitter are the 90,000 people in Senegal who will sleep underneath bed nets because of the money we all raised through the race.” Other Twitter celebrities who helped spread the word included Anderson Cooper, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Ryan Seacrest and Oprah.

We’ve been following the impact of social media and technology on the relief effort in Haiti, but it’s obviously not the first example of social media being used for good. When you see stuff like this happening, though, you can’t help but feel excited to be part of a positive movement in history for a change.

1. Sign-up and post a profile. Visit Twitter and click on the "Get Started - Join" button in the middle.  The rest is simple enough that I think you can figure it out without my help.

2. Write some updates. The beauty of Twitter is that the 140 character limit is the great equalizer - I am about as good of a writer as Shakespeare on Twitter.  Post a link to a news article you liked with a one line comment, mention an interesting thought you had, or tell everyone what you are cooking for dinner.  Just write something.

3. Make friends. Making friends on Twitter is pretty easy.  Just surf around the web on your favorite blogs, people's Facebook profiles etc, and when you see a Twitter box that tells you what they are doing click on it.  That will bring you to their profile and then you just click on the "Follow" button on the top left and you are now following them.  Most of the time they will then follow you back, and the audience for your 140 character insights will have grown by one person.  You can get started by following me on Twitter at wandia_info You can also click on the people that other people are following to find more people to follow.

4. How to post URLs. Twitter is based on 140 character updates.  If you have a really long URL, that doesn't leave much room for  tweets use pys.me or  www.TinyURL.com to take a long URL and make it short.  Give it a shot if you have a long URL that you want to market on Twitter.

5. Monitor conversations about your company. Even if you don't join Twitter yourself you can monitor what people are saying about any person, company or brand.  This is quite useful from a marketing and PR standpoint.  Twitter has a search engine that lets you do just this.  For instance, here is a list of everyone who is talking about HubSpot on Twitter.  You can subscribe to these searches by RSS to keep yourself updated.  Another tip is that you can "follow" all the people you find talking about your company (just click on their username to go to their profile).  If they are talking about your company, they would probably be pretty happy that someone from the company wants to follow them.

6. How to "chat". Using the @ symbol before someone's Twitter username is how people have "conversations" in Twitter.  This makes their username a link to their profile so other people can follow the conversation (sort of).  For example if you wrote "@wandia_info thanks for the cool blog article about Twitter today" that would be a way of telling me you liked this article. Try it out.  It's not IM (instant messaging), but it is sort of like a publicly broadcast IM service.

For more Tips on Twitter for Business sign up for Twittrafficpro.com