Twitter as a marketing tool?

Twitter has evolved into something much more than just instant messaging. It is increasingly becoming a valuable viral marketing, communications and customer service tool.

It’s not just lonely youths using Twitter. Established experts and big business are also sending out tweets, engaging with other users and monitoring conversations, including the New York Times, Intel, Amazon and Delta Airlines.

So how can marketers use Twitter to their advantage? By carefully becoming involved in the ongoing dialogue... and staying involved. Twitter is not the place for one-off announcements and the occasional coupon code. Twitter requires all the TLC and effort that comes with relationship building.

Once you’ve found your voice, Twitter can be a great environment for Internet-savvy marketers to:

- Promote deals and discount codes.

- Monitor and respond to product queries/information requests.

- Extend customer service support.

- Break news about products/services.

- Provide real-time event coverage.

- Generate brand buzz.

- Alert to new posts/articles on blogs.

Tags: instant messaging, social marketing, social media, social networking