E2 - Twitter Uses

Some of the ways a business or organization use Twitter are down right creepy, almost like the George Orwell novel '1984', Big Brother is watching.

Businesses follow what is being said about it on Twitter and respond to the Tweeter to provide customer service or enhance it's image. Businesses that monitor Tweets include Dell, GM, Whole Foods and JetBlue. These businesses have recognized the size of the potential audience and are using this social network to promote the business' brands. Not to mention Twitter is free and can handle an issue when it occurs rather than several months after the fact. However, some people become concerned by a big business following them and may actually turn to a competitor because of Twitter.

Many businesses use Twitter to conduct research both on how it's brands are being used and what the competition is doing. By following customers the business can alert customers to new products, offer coupons, etc. But these companies have to be very careful to not mis-use the trust a of a customer when it allows a business to follow it on a social network.

Small businesses are using Twitter as a marketing tool (and some big businesses too). A customer can follow the corner cafe and it's owner. Twitter is a free network, a business can communicate with customers at little or no cost to tell them about new products, sales, store hours or special events. Because Twitter is more of a person-to-person application than a business-to-business one. This means that a customer is more likely to follow the cafe owner than the business.

These are only two of the many ways a business can use a social network like Twitter. Businesses and organizations alike use Twitter to push information out to followers (or potential followers), whether this is information such as the news, or information about upcoming events.
But businesses have to be very careful not to over saturate the market with stuff and need to have a plan on what the goal of the tweets will be whether it is marketing, customer service, or research.

However, businesses have to be very careful about how and when they use Twitter, or any social network. They have to use this powerful tool carefully and wisely. Tips for a business in using Twitter include:
Know what you want to say and be concise because Twitter allows only 140 characters.
Don't Tweet too much or too little. It is important to find out what the magic number of
tweets might be so that the potential audience will reap the benefits intended
Learn how to use the Twitter search functions, this will become your friend in using the
the data available in Twitter.
Don't worry about followers. This is like the movie 'Field of Dreams', if you build it they will
come.
Look at the tweets, sort what you find, and then tweet some more.