Are you a professional new to Twitter and wonder how you can search for fellow Tweeps in your town? Or even your neighborhood?

Josh Catone recently wrote on Mashable about nine ways new Twitter users can find local Tweets. The list includes the obvious — Twitter Search — and the not-so-obvious — sites such as happen.in. Catone also suggests the human touch — going to local Tweetups and meeting real people.

Two of the nine options he mentions — TwitterLocal and Nearby Tweets — go beyond simply finding Twitter users in your town. They offer searchers the ability to find Twitter folks within a mile of where you live. In real time. Nearby Tweets, while a little buggy for this Mac user, also enables you to do keyword searches for those nearby users.

If your business focuses on your neighborhood, you know this type of information can be gold. However, whatever you do, don’t spam your neighbors. Build followers by taking the time to foster online relationships with them and share information that’s helpful. Use Twitter to establish you are an expert and a trusted source. Answer questions. Don’t try to sell yourself. Your expertise does the selling.

Once that trust has been established, don’t overdo promotions. Think how you would feel if you were spammed by a local business. Maybe even a competitor.

Keep it social.