Twitter.  Know what it is?  Do you really care?  If you are a business owner, you should.  There are several ways Twitter could help your business right now, TODAY.  How?  Read on…

Earlier this morning I read a nice post predicting the 10 ways Twitter will change American business.  It’s a lengthy post but draws some logical conclusions and, if they prove to be true, certainly would change the way business (not to mention government) operates.  Only time will tell, but that is the future and I want to tell you about NOW.

First of all, if you don’t know what Twitter is a quick primer:  Twitter is an online service that allows people to connect with others online and exchange small messages, including links.  If you’re thinking texting, you’re on the right track…except you can “text” (or Tweet) to hundreds or even thousands of people at once.  And they in turn (if they like your tweet) can send your message (called re-tweeting) to all of their contacts.  Oh, and it’s free.

So, how can Twitter help your business?  Especially if your customers are local?  Here are some ideas:

- Hyper-Local Marketing:   With Twitter it’s possible to develop a highly focused following based on interest, or geography, or both.  Let’s say you own a pizza shop.  You want a way to reward (and retain) your customers so they don’t start ordering from the Papa Hut chain place.  You could setup a Twitter account (free), invite customers to “follow” you by adding your Twitter username to inserts, signs, etc. (no more than what you’re paying now), then Tweet exclusive offers, discounts, events, etc.  Let the word-of-mouth advertising begin!

- Measure Your Existing Advertising:  A slight twist on the above, add a Twitter username to your existing ads in phonebooks, newspapers, billboards, etc and measure the response you get.  Heck, set up different accounts for each (it’s free, remember?).

- Get Real-Time Feedback:  Tweets are sent and received in real-time, so you can ask a question and get direct feedback instantaneously.  Ever wondered what your customers really think, or what they really want?  Ask them!

Interested in learning more?  You can follow me on Twitter, or contact me directly - I’d love your feedback.

Today’s Wall Street Journal is reporting the results of a Nielsen Online study on how people consume videos online.  Among the more interesting findings, women preferred to watch TV broadcasts online, while men preferred to watch user-generated videos on sites like YouTube, Revver, and others.

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