One of the fastest growing social networking internet services must have some use for business!

Thus, declared a seasoned entrepreneur. So why would an internet “newbie” who is one of a growing number of businessmen and company executives looking for ways to leverage these internet networking services want to use it?

Twitter, comprised of a large number of self-organized networks of communities and friends, is a free micro-blogging service that enables members to send and read other people’s updates called “tweets”. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length sent to a member’s “followers”. These can be received by going to the Twitter site as well as affiliated websites, via cell phone SMS service, and also some external applications like tweetdeck and twhirl.

I personally use tweet deck right now.

The concept of the service is easy enough to understand, but the implications of how it can be used for business may be surprising. Here are some of the ways it can be used – my top 5 ways to Twitter, for business.

1. Twitter can help direct people’s attention to your company, product or service

It can work like a personalized, free ad service and works better the larger your network of followers. The key here is to get people to follow you. You can do something like add your twitter feeds to other social networking profiles and leverage on these groups to reach a larger audience. Do more than just promote your agendas, and be consistently courteous, professional and interesting as well.

Starbucks, for example posts new offers to their Twitter followers. So does Dell, and many others in the ever-growing bandwagon of companies taking advantage of the service. It’s rumored Dell drives over $1 million dollars in sales from their tweets!

2. Twitter works well as an opinion poll

Want feedback on a new idea, product, or service? Want to know what people think of a competitor’s product in the market? This will be a good source for free, fast feedback from your potential market.

This works well for Popeyes Chicken, a quick-service restaurant that uses its Twitter account not only to update followers on current deals and discounts, but also to respond to feedback from their customers. They do so in such a courteous and customer-friendly way their followers don’t mind and actually like being heard.

3. Twitter may be used to improve customer service

Why not? It may make it easier for you to reach your customers, while providing a friendlier (less formal) and easier avenue for them to contact you.

Comcast, a leading provider of digital broadband cable services uses a customer-friendly Twitter support that goes to the extent of showing a photo rather than a company logo to make customers feel like they are talking to a real person.

4. Twitter works great in posting company updates, industry news, and organizing meetings

News headlines and updates published in a company website may be broadcasted to Twitter-followers of the company. Ford’s Twitter account, with currently more than 6,000 followers worldwide, is doing just that.

Twitter also works as a handy group-sending tool to broadcast meeting announcements. Just make sure you send it to the right group otherwise undesirables might show up too. One way to do this is through hashtags.

5. Twitter can hook you up with mentors and business partners

If you find and follow the right people, it may turn out to be a rich learning environment and source of ideas you could use.

This will allow you to network with like-minded people who you can collaborate with, or at least observe in order to gather information and ideas. You may follow a consultant for example, who tweets regular updates on the progress of tasks accomplished as well as issues encountered in a particular project.

Simple tool, free service, great idea!

The applications for Twitter as a communication tool are as many as your imagination can conjure. Just keep in mind that with the absence of regulation, it is also subject to abuse. So using it for classified company or business information is unwise. Still, it is clear that there are ways to utilize it beneficially, just for “listening” at the very least.

I look forward to your comments on how you’re using Twitter in your business both what works and what’s flopped.

Follow my Twitter social media and marketing updates here.

Originally posted 2009-05-29 11:49:06. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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