Backtweets is a web-based tool that finds tweets that link to specific web pages. You can use it to find and follow people who link to posts and articles you find interesting.

Let’s say you’re interested in video journalism. Earlier tonight, Robert Courtemanche compiled a list of  shooting tips in a blog post entitled “Cool Links #30: The Tooth Will Set You Free.”

Here is how you can find Twitter users who have already shared that post on Twitter:

  1. Visit the post and copy its URL from your browser’s address bar (or just right-click on this link and copy its URL by selecting “Copy Shortcut” in Explorer, “Copy Link Location” in Firefox, or “Copy Link” in Safari).
  2. Now, Point your browser to http://backtweets.com.
  3. Paste the URL into Backtweet’s Googlesque search box and hit the search button.

Here is what I got:

Search results from Backtweets

Clicking on the first person on the list brings you to @stanorchard‘s Twitter page. His bio says that he’s a Seattle writer and journalist. His recent tweets reveal that he engages in conversation about Mac web development, iPhones, and radio (in a conversation with @TheNewsChick, a.k.a. journalist Linda Thomas). If you think you can benefit from this kind of conversation, follow Stan Orchard.

Recent tweets from Stan Orchard

But don’t stop with Stan. Check out the other people who linked to Courtemanche’s post. You’re bound to find more people to follow. And don’t forget to take a look at the people to whom Stan replied.

I’m always on a quest to find people who link to good content about journalism and linking, so please let me know of any tools you use to find good link-sharing conversationalists on Twitter.

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