The Homa Files

Excerpted from Business Week, “How Companies Use Twitter To Bolster Their Brands”, by Rachel Kin, September 6, 2008

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A growing number of companies are keeping track of what’s said about their brands on Twitter . . . using Twitter to do everything from burnish brands to provide customer service. The attention to Twitter reflects the power of new social media tools in letting consumers shape public discussion over brands.

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Begun in 2006, Twitter is a pioneer of microblogging, a way for users to keep others informed of their current status by way of text messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, or the Web. While Twitter doesn’t release exact numbers, estimates range from 1 million to 3 million users.

It’s not just audience size that draws brands. People who use the site are likely to hold sway over others. A single Twitter message—known informally as a tweet—sent in frustration over a product or a service’s performance can be read by hundreds or thousands of people. Similarly, positive interaction with a representative of the manufacturer or service provider can help change an influencer’s perspective for the better.

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In a July 2008 report, Gartner added microblogging to its list of technologies that will transform business over the next two to five years.

Edit by DAF

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Full Article:
http://www.businessweek.com/print/technology/content/sep2008/tc2008095_320491.htm

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