Is the buzz surrounding Twitter nothing but hype? Can companies really take advantage of the service?

The internet has been abuzz the last couple of months regarding Twitter, a micro-blogging service that lets people post messages that gets published in the Twitter feeds of followers.  The service which allows people to follow one another has become such a big hit with millions of people.  Different people have discovered different uses for the service. It is such a simple yet useful messaging tool that companies have also found it useful.

Companies- big and small, are now tweeting and using the service as part of their integrated marketing and PR efforts.  Companies use twitter to post announcements regarding new products, share information about news and events and other bits and pieces of information that companies would want to share to the public to help the company’s image and ultimately its sales.

Large brands such as Pepsi Cola, Starbucks, Dell and other multinational companies use Twitter to complement its off line marketing and PR campaigns.  These companies even use Twitter as support to its other online marketing efforts.

Small companies use the service to form stronger connections to clients.  Twitter can be used by small companies to send out messages to clients. Big companies can afford to pay hundreds and thousands of dollars on TV spots and print ads but small companies usually do not have big marketing budgets to work with.  With small budgets that need to be stretched so that the company can really do more in terms of PR and marketing, Twitter and other social media really help.

How can Twitter be used to really push a business or a product? There are so many ways Twitter can be used by brands. Here are some Twitter uses: 

• Send discount codes online- people love discounts.  When people see a sale, they will buy something even when they don’t necessarily need the product right away. You can offer discounts and send discount codes through your Twitter account.
• Publish industry news- share news and other important information to Twitter followers
• Explain product features- use the network to share and discuss product features people may not know about.
• Answer customer inquiries- you can easily communicate with clients through the network. You can answer customer inquiries and even customer complaints through the service.

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