what about twitter?

So what about Twitter? If social media is the ubiquitous topic of the day, Twitter is running a close second as the thing that everyone from marketers to mobile service providers to bloggers to well, marketers, are also talking about.

But what does Twitter mean to you as a small business owner? Will it work to build your business online?

The simple answer: Twitter is simply a marketing tool. And like any other marketing tool if you apply it properly, thoughtfully, and creatively to your marketing objectives, it will work for you.

It kind of drives me nuts to write that, by the way. Honestly, Twitter itself has kind of driven me a little nuts for the last two years. I was hoping to see it go the way of the Atari 2600, candy colored iMacs and ICQ. But, based on current stats, it doesn't look like Twitter's going away soon.

I'll be the first to admit it, although I joined on January 11, 2008, I've been a very slow adopter of Twitter. How slow? I've only written two tweets in two years. The first scintillating post? "I am reading a good book." Yes, I know. Brilliant stuff. The second, written just twenty four minutes later: "Emailing my friend X." Clearly, my heart was not into it.

Why was my heart not into it? As an English Literature major, copywriter, senior content developer, and career-long usability proponent, the often unintuitive 140 character tweets, peppered with #'s, cul8r's, @'s and bit.lys really irked me.

But I digress. Let's take this post back to you. How can Twitter help businesses online? Let's look at great example: New York City street vendors. Because they constantly have to move throughout the day, many NYC mobile food vendors were early adaptors who would tweet their current positions as they were forced to travel around neighborhoods. Almost overnight, they were able to solve the problem of telling hungry customers where to find them, while also telling them specials of the day, and coupons and deals. Three birds. One tweet.

Just remember, Twitter is just one tool in your marketing stockpile.

An interesting follow up to the food vendor success is found on the Midtown Lunch blog, where the writer advises street vendors that "While Twitter can be a monster marketing tool that can create instant crowds (and profits) it’s not usually the case. Like any business you have to pay your dues, and build up your customer base over time. It’s not going to be easy at the beginning, but the key (as it has always been with street vending) is consistency. Don’t be lured in by the freedoms that you think twitter affords you."

Now that's good advice all small businesses can benefit from.

As for me? Will I be incorporating Twitter into my social media marketing plan for simple? Probably. How? Well, I'll tweet you that once I decide the best way to make it work for my marketing goals.