I was listening to a podcast the other day that was talking about Twitter and I was surprised by some of the statistics that were shared on the show. Take a look at why people log into Twitter:

• 42% log into Twitter to learn about products and services
• 42% log in to give opinions about products or services
• 31% log in to ask for opinions on products or services
• 28% log in to find information about discounts and sales
• 23% log in to buy products or services
• 19% log in to seek customer service.

Is your business on Twitter? With those stats, it had better be so!

Here are some other good reasons to use Twitter:

1. Stay up to date with the latest newsImportant events and the hottest talk in town – know what’s going on around you in many small “advertising spots”
2. Find out what people say about you, your brand, your product and your business – you can do a quick search on Twitter to find out exactly where you stand. This is a great way to keep up with customer service, reputation management, and get ideas for product and service development.
3. Get a quick answer to a difficult question – Need to find something quick? Do you need to solve a dilemma? Do you need to learn how to do something? Need to find an important resource? Need to make an important connection? Twitter can help. Just post your inquiry and watch the magic happen!
4. promote your brand – Let people know you are open for business, what you offer, how you can help, what you do.
5. Keep up with your friends – lots of people connect on Twitter – old friends, new friends, colleagues, cyber friends – Twitter will keep you up to date on Tweet-ups, meetups and social events you can participate in. You can use it to announce a birth, an engagement, a graduation, a triumph, and a dismal failure.
6. Follow at a conference/concert/event – Did you miss the event of the year? Use Twitter to stay informed: who is talking, what is they saying, what song is playing, what is driving them crazy, what is driving them crazy, what are they learning, who are they meeting. Let Twitter help you feel like you’re there.
7. establish your character – Let people know who you are. As you engage on Twitter, offer your knowledge and expertise, lend a hand, extend congratulations or sympathy, engage in conversations, people come to know you as someone they can like and trust. This builds great credibility and can really help move your business forward.
8. Hire that perfect team member – You know that whole adage about 6 degrees of separation? On Twitter it is much smaller. If you need a particular person, Twitter can find it for you!
9. stay organized – Create a to-do list using Twitter and an app like Remember the Milk or Evernote, and never forget a person, place or thing!

You can even do some pretty weird things with Twitter, like find out how many washing machines are available in your building, remember to water the plants, write a book, quit smoking, and create your own personal assistant.

So if you’ve just taken to Twitter to post your announcements (tsk tsk) or update us on what you’ve had for lunch, you might want to think again! Twitter is an amazing tool to run your business!