by Morgan Linton

Created on: June 07, 2009   Last Updated: June 10, 2009

Twitter has become much more than a micro-blogging platform. It has become an information source, a communication medium, as well as an excellent promotion tool for small businesses. With the Internet economy constantly evolving, small businesses must continue to innovate and find new ways to attract people to their business. Twitter has emerged to be a clear leader in social networking surpassing MySpace and Facebook in subscribers and volume of content.

Many small businesses were thrown-off by the quick-acceptance of Twitter. In 2005 a cutting-edge business used tools like MySpace and Facebook, in 2009 if your business is not on Twitter then you are missing-out on an even bigger piece of the Internet pie. So where do small businesses find value in Twitter?

Twitter has made it easier than ever to follow (similar to subscribing) to someone's Twitter feed. Since Twitter has an 140-character post limit, this has caused people to be much more comfortable following many people as these mini-updates are not overwhelming as many people find with blog posts. For many companies the biggest stumbling block has been learning twitter. While initially it seems easy to use, to really become a Twitter power user it takes time to utilize all of the tools that are available to improve and automate the Twitter experience.

There are very few Twitter blogs right now as most people who are passionate about Twitter stick to the Twitter platform for sharing their lessons. The problem with this approach is that if you aren't comfortable using Twitter there are not many resources that can help you learn the basics of Twitter. With millions of blogs online it is surprising that here are less than 100 blogs about Twitter that are actively updated on a regular-basis.

Once a small business understands how to use Twitter - the ability to grow awareness around their company can grow exponentially. One of the best ways that a small business can increase their following is by following Twitter-users they think would be interested in the products or services that they offer. This can be accomplished by a simple Twitter search and using keywords that the company knows are relevant to what they have to offer. In many cases people will automatically follow you back which means a business can quickly grow a list of targeted followers just by following their target customers!

Aside from growing brand-awareness Twitter is a great way for small businesses to communicate with, and provide valuable updates to their customers. Many people feel more comfortable writing a quick Tweet with a question or problem than they do calling an 800-number. By having someone from the company actively monitor Twitter you can quickly and efficiently respond to customer question. Should a new or exciting product or event be coming-up Twitter is a great way to inform people and help make your customers feel more included in the day-to-day business of the company.

Over the next few years it is certain that Twitter will continue to grow and develop as a major communication medium. It is essential that small businesses adapt quickly to ensure they are providing their customers with the best service and support.

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