Kali Hawlk, a marketing manager in Georgia, landed her first client through that most familiar tactic: networking. Hawlk and her client struck up a casual conversation and, one month later, were working together.

But their initial dialogue involved no handshakes or small talk, no cocktail parties or nametags. The networking was done over Twitter, each exchange a mere 140 characters. And for Hawlk, that digital component was a major relief.

“As someone who identifies as not only introverted, but also extremely shy, social media has been an invaluable tool to help me grow my network,” Hawlk tells Fast Company. “Using Twitter… has allowed me to advance professionally much faster—and much farther—than I would have if I was limited to in-person, face-to-face networking events.”

For Hawlk and the legions of other introverts who dread those after-hour cocktail parties, Twitter has proved a consummate replacement. A strategic @ mention, or a thoughtful addition to an ongoing conversation, allows the introverted professional to hobnob without the awkwardness. “I’ve been able to get past that initial stage of connecting with someone that I struggle with so much in person,” Hawlk says.

Twitter has also been a boon for Dharmesh Shah, the cofounder and chief technology officer of sales and marketing platform HubSpot. Shah, who identifies as an introvert, has a quarter-million followers on Twitter—and notes it’s here that he works best.

“I can honestly say that just about every type of business value one can get, I’ve gotten from Twitter,” Shah says. “I’ve recruited employees for HubSpot. I’ve engaged investors. I’ve found startups to invest in. I’ve connected with the media. I’ve connected with customers. I’ve been invited for speaking events. You name it, I’ve had it happen on Twitter.”

Fast Company spoke with a passel of introverts like Hawlk and Shah about their Twitter tendencies, and how communicating from afar can make networking exponentially less painful—and more powerful. Their advice: