When creating your Twitter profile, you will need to be short and concise because you have 160 characters to share your story or message with the Twitter community in the bio of your profile. Within your profile, you also get to add a photo which can be yours or a company logo if you choose, list a URL to your blog or website, include your name, and indicate your location. They will also let you personalize your background. This is a great spot for your company logo and a short message that you would like to share with the world.

Because a Twitter profile is not as elaborate as a Facebook or MySpace profile, people may overlook adding their information, but do not make this mistake. Your Twitter profile serves as a great introduction to potential clients who may want to follow your company. The whole premise of Twitter is to pack as much quality concise information into quick bite size pieces and a Twitter profile is no different.

With the the internet and social media in particular, companies need to be more transparent and own up to their mistakes. They also must take the time to fix them quickly before things get out of hand, and that can happen quickly. One of the best ways to monitor your brand and its reputation is to set up Google Alerts for your company name and monitor what is being said about your business on the web. Google will send you emails or RSS feeds for anything that they index in their search engine that pertains to your business name. You can also monitor products and services that you offer and you can even keep a good eye on your competition too. These Alerts can be read in Google Reader. Both Google Reader and Google Alerts are free services from Google.

If you try to hide your mistakes online, you will get eaten alive with social media sites like Twitter. Everybody knows everybody’s business now. You will want to respond very quickly to any negative feedback left about your company because if you don’t, serious damage can be done because it is easy for an angry mob to form. Just a little helpful information can quickly diffuse the situation and help keep your brand image in a positive light.

With consumers taking on the broadcasting role on sites like Twitter, it only makes sense to turn these broadcasters into raving fans of your products and services. When this happens, your message can go viral throughout the web. These fans will help create warm, ready to buy referrals for you, and we all know that there is nothing like getting a good prequalified referral. Those truly are the best people to sell to because they are ready to buy and buyers are what we are in this for.

This is a very interesting marketing shift because now your customers are selling to future customers, and it costs us nothing in return. Now, that is some effective advertising at great prices! Companies no longer have to spend untold hours developing elaborate impressions of their online brand. Their brand image is now being created by everyday people as they write online about their experiences. They do this as they sit in their homes, at work, and at local cafes typing away to their heart’s content on their computers offering their latest opinions, news, tips, and reviews. Social sites like Twitter are now at the forefront of this revolution, and you should do your due diligence to get involved in the shaping of your brand’s image online.

By getting involved in social media conversations, you cannot control what is said, nor the end result, but you can help shape the direction that the conversations go in and help bring about a positive outcome. Disgruntled people are everywhere, and you will not please everyone, but you will have an opportunity  to correct inaccuracies and downright lies about your products and services, and if there are any misunderstandings, you can quickly resolve these.

Back in the good old days of marketing (which we will define as preinternet ), companies would broadcast their marketing message to the masses as much as possible. The idea here was to get your message heard or seen by as many people as possible while feeding them the benefits of your product or service. This method worked for a very long time because there were less products and services available to the market, there were less channels in which to get your message out to the public, and the buyer did not have much of a voice either. This model of marketing was basically one way. The message was broadcast from the business through the channel to the consumer. Then came the internet and that has changed everything, when it comes to marketing your company message.

With the internet, the tables have been turned. Now, the consumer has gained the upper hand when it comes to the message being broadcast about a product or service. People are talking to other people about their experiences for the better or worse. They are sharing product deficiencies, offering each other buying tips and tricks, recommending alternative products, and posting reviews. Companies cannot control all the channels of the web. There are just too many sites, blogs, forums, and social sites (and Twitter is one of them) to control and that is the whole point here. Companies have lost control of their brand message and the consumer is now broadcasting that message for better or worse.

Here are a couple of quick examples of companies using Twitter for customer service, business-to-consumer marketing, business-to-business marketing, and public relations:

Customer Service – The massively popular online shoe store, Zappos.com, takes customer service to an all new level of buying utilizing Twitter as a line of communication with its customers.

Business to Consumer Marketing – The Ford Motor Company is posting in 140 characters or less to promote their new Fiesta model. You can learn more about it at www.fiestamovement.com.

Business to Business Marketing – Duct Tape Marketing started a few years ago with their book and website that catered to helping small businesses get more customers. Now, they use Twitter as part of their marketing tool belt to reach out to businesses that need their services.

Public Relations – The company that sets the standard in womens’ and mens’ accessories, Louis Vuitton,  uses Twitter to reach out to bloggers in the Paris fashion industry.

These are just a few examples of using Twitter for business. Be sure to take a look online for more examples of how you can use Twitter for your business.