But, how can you use Twitter to help your business ?
As with most things, the meteoric rise and media coverage that Twitter has received in the last couple of years does not automatically mean that putting your message out via Twitter ("Tweeting" it) will make you a huge success. On the contrary, the immense number of messages rolling through Twitter - like the Internet itself in many ways - can mean that your message gets lost among the noise of all the other chatter.
One way, however, that Twitter can help a local business such as yours in a very real way is by helping you create stronger relationships with your potential and existing customers. You may not always be able to find new customers via Twitter and other social networking media (it's possible, just not "automatic") ... but consider this:
You run a retail clothing shop, let's call it "MyShop Rocks!", which attracts regular foot traffic and a loyal following of (probably younger) customers who would jump at the chance to grab a bargain. You can encourage those customers to "follow" you on Twitter on your "MyShop Rocks! Specials" feed (Feeds can look a little like this).
Every few days or weeks you can post specials to your Twitter feed. Your most loyal followers (customers) may get notified wherever they are (via their mobile, browser, or whichever device they use) that you have a special offer available THIS AFTERNOON ONLY.
The secret, as it is with most marketing, is to create a call-to-action that compels your customer to act immediately. Making your special available THIS AFTERNOON ONLY is a great way to do that.
The other secret, as you probably guessed from earlier, is that you can't rely on Twitter to bring customers to you. It can, but it's much more likely that you will have to bring your own loyal following along for the ride.
And, of course, one way to do that is to promote your website and Twitter feed in-store (and on your business cards, flyers, etc). You might also consider having your Twitter feed displayed prominently on your website to prompt users to "follow" you.
As an example, we have our own Twitter feed on our Creative Intersection homepage.
Creative Intersection provides consultancy and other services to help design and build your website and other online "bits" as well as branding (logos etc), marketing materials design, and even video production. ... and we would love the opportunity to work with you!