Add Twitter to Your Internet Marketing Toolbox: Using Social Network Websites in Social Media Marketing Campaigns

If you’re researching social media & social networks, chances are good you’ve stumbled across Twitter in recent months. Twitter is an online community of people writing text-based, miniature-scale (max 140 character) blog posts about moments in their lives.

But Twitter isn’t just for individuals. Twitter holds great potential for improved online communication, collaboration and relationship building for business. Early adopters in social media marketing are picking up and running with Twitter, adding it to their client’s overall online media marketing mix.

Twitter offers unique opportunties for the enhancement & expansion of traditional marketing and social media marketing campaigns. We see companies and savvy Internet marketers coming up with new ways to use Twitter to their advantage. A few ways you might consider using Twitter in your online PR and Internet marketing strategies include:

building relationships with prospective clients
promoting events
providing insight and commentary on an event in real time
promoting special offers or daily specials
facilitating collaborative experience
building conversation
sending press releases
opening dialogue between promoter and promotion participants
website traffic generation
Here’s a random sample of companies using Twitter as part of their social media marketing efforts:

Amazon
Dell
Woot
MTV Music Video Awards
Mac Rumors
ESPN
Carnival Cruise lines
Intel Software
CNN
Delta Airlines
Eleven Marketing
And here’s a few news sites using Twitter to their advantage:

CNN
New York Times
BBC
What ways have you seen or tried using Twitter for online marketing or communication for your company or clients? Do you see a future for Twitter or is it just another passing social media fad to be replaced by a bigger-and-better social network or instant messenger mashup within the year?

Want to experiment with Twitter? Sign up for an account at twitter.com then make a plan for integrating it into your daily routine. Install Twitbin or Twitterific to keep updated. Explore this comprehensive list of Twitter applications.