101 Business Uses for Twitter

Okay, when it comes to Twitter, you are probably in one of two categories:

1. You use Twitter for your business a lot. It helps you connect with customers, investors and the media. It's your research tool, news channel, corporate communications tool, marketing, advertising, public relations and email. 

2. You wonder what the heck the big deal is about Twitter.

So I'll start this list of 101 business uses for Twitter for those of you in category two. Those of you in category one, please chime in:

1. Use Twitter to listen. No matter what your business is, there is a real-time discussion going on about your industry, your executives, your competitors and your customers.

2. Twitter is the world's biggest, most accurate, least expensive focus group (oh, and it's real time, have I mentioned that?). Do you run a pizza parlor in Tallahassee? Here are two ways of doing a focus group.

   • Option One: Make a  bunch of phone calls to get consumers to meet on a Tuesday night. Make sure they all eat pizza. Rent a research facility. Buy a bunch of M&Ms. Write up some questions that aren't too leading but that will draw out good responses. Hope the people show up. Get mad when half don't show up. Buy them $50 Starbucks cards. Have too many or not enough Starbucks cards. Hope they don't lie. Get mad at the bossy guy dominating the conversation. Etc.
   • Option 2: Click this link.
   
   

3. Twitter is competitive intelligence. Follow your competitors. From the CEO to the summer intern. You will be amazed at how quickly you know their pipelines, clients, pricing  and hiring plans. PS. tell your co-workers not to ever tweet your pipeline, clients, pricing or hiring plans.

4. Twitter is lead gen. Apologies to the purists, but Twitter is probably the best lead gen tool out there. First, don't ever, ever, spam. Never. Listen more than you talk. Only make direct contact with someone when you have a relevant message. Now that we have that straight, here are two ways to do lead generation:

   • Option One: Call a prospect. Ask for the person in charge of social media. Wait during an uncomfortable silence. Explain what social media is. Get transferred to the IT help desk. Smash head into wall.
   • Option Two: Follow everyone at the prospect company on Twitter. Wait until one of them tweets "Evaluating options for social media training." Direct message that person. Meet with that person over coffee. Discuss that person's kids, dogs, travel plans and hobbies (and all the other stuff they've tweeted about the last three weeks) over coffee, as well as their business needs. Close the deal.

Okay, all the folks in category one, help us get to 101 uses.

Comments

[Amy Marshall]

Twitter has been very valuable to us and our clients in finding potential job candidates! We post the job opening and poof - we get instant responses and referrals!

[Rebecca]

I hear about events and news on Twitter first, which helps me stay up to date on what is happening in my industry!

[Yvonne]

Twitter is GREAT for networking with other folks in your industry, clients, target audience, you name it! It is so easy to tweet about an event or meeting and all the folks following you get the same message!

[Kim Towne]

Twitter is also great for customer service - follow tweets about your product or company and respond to anyone needing help.

[Lara Kretler]

Twitter is great for promoting blog posts - as log as you use it for MORE than just that, and only self-promote about 10% of the time. I get more blog referrals from Twitter than from just about anywhere else.

In fact, Twitter is how I heard about this blog post and came here to read and comment!

[Bill]

Customer Service! Don't bother waiting on hold for 20 minutes to talk to a customer service representative. Tweet your comments and watch how quickly companies get back to you.

[Bill Balderaz]

Twitter is the new lost and found. Last week at a presentation a fellow panel member left her BlackBerry at the event. I tweeted an APB to my network (the other panel member and I were not connected). A few retweets later, she received the message and got her phone back!