Twitter is a micro “blogging” site that allows users to discuss topics with a 140 character max.  Tweets are no longer just “what are you doing.”  News, gossip, sports and entertainment get updated constantly, and followers now have a way to receive all the information they are interested in on one site.  And those who “tweet” are not teens!  The average users are males between the ages of 35 and 44, who have stable careers and live in big-city metro areas like Los Angeles, Philadelphia and New York.

A user’s Twitter homepage is like a Yahoo! homepage of their favorite topics.  When you log in to your account, you see updates from people, brands and topics you’re interested in.  Think about your homepage on the internet.  When you connect and are directed to your homepage, like Yahoo, you get the latest updates in several categories from sports, entertainment, news and more.  But when you log into your homepage on Twitter, you get updates from specifics – Orlando Magic, Oprah, CNN.  Maybe you are only interested in SEC football, so instead of seeing general sports updates on your Yahoo! page, you follow SEC Sports on Twitter and only see updates regarding the SEC when you log into your homepage.
Since Twitter is a way to relay information to followers, it is particularly beneficial to company branding.  Let your fans and followers know about the latest product you are working on or the new remolding your chain is undergoing.  Offer followers “Twitter-only” specials and discounts to encourage them to follow you.  Do a quick search for your resort, such as The Breakers in Palm Beach, and see who is tweeting about staying at the resort right now.  Follow those people and send them a direct message offering them a discount for a spa service during their current visit.

Many companies are afraid of having their brand out on social networking sites because they are worried a disgruntled customer will try and ruin their reputation.  It’s quite the opposite, though.  If someone was upset with a service they received, they might write a letter that would take weeks to get into the right hands of someone who could handle the situation.  In the meantime, they would tell the people they knew about how horrible there service was.  With Twitter, that person could go straight to the site, or their Twitter page, and let them know they were upset, and your company can get back with them instantly and try to work out a solution.  Then everyone who follows you sees that you care enough about every customer to reach out and help them in a reasonable and timely manner.

Twitter is also a great way to get customers involved in your brand, not just by liking and using your product.  Customers can feel appreciated and connected to the brand.  Whole Foods is a perfect example.  If you’re looking for lavender essence for a special cake you want to bake, but don’t want to drive all over town to find it, just ask, or @reply, the store.  In a few seconds you can ask Whole Foods if it is a product they carry and where it would be in the store.  They will respond, and quickly!

Twitter has also taken over the entertainment industry.  Nearly every celebrity, athlete, TV Show and production company is on Twitter.  If you’re addicted to watching Gossip Girl, you can follow them on Twitter and tweet about the episode you are watching right now!  Want to know who makes the shoes Blair is wearing?  Send them a message on Twitter and find out.  The Today Show updates their Twitter page often, offering quick updates about a story discussed on the morning show and a link redirecting you to their site to read the full article or watch a clip of the show.  They are able to use Twitter to get more eyeballs on their website.  They can send out quick breaking news updates or just let people know what is coming up on the show in the next hour.  Interested in the new upcoming summer blockbuster?  Follow the movie on Twitter and you’ll likely find trailers and behind the scenes footage as well as updates on how the actors are preparing for the roles.  It’s a great way to create some pre-buzz excitement.

Maintaining your company’s Twitter account is much more manageable than you might think.  There are so many applications available to make organizing and updating quick and easy.  Successful accounts should be updated regularly.  If you don’t feel like logging on daily to tweet, use TweetLater to set up a series of tweets that can go out at specific times.  Have all of your direct messages or @replies sent to one place so you don’t miss anyone’s questions or comments using Tweetr.  It also allows you to cross-post updates throughout several social networking sites at once.  Find people near your location with NearbyTweets and see who is tweeting about you with Tweetbeep.  Run a promotion with a direct link to your site and use TweetBurner to track how many people click through.  It’s not necessary to stay on Twitter all day in order to manage and maintain a successful account.

Overall, Twitter is a fun and easy way for customers to keep up with their favorite brands and a way for brands to keep their customers informed.  Twitter allows brands to engage customers instead of just one-way communication like traditional advertising.  It’s not intrusive since followers decide who they want to pay attention to.  You just have to make sure you have something interesting to say!

How did you spend your weekend? Mine was spent with the world’s most famous clown and thousands of wide-eyed children. It was thegrand opening of the newest Virgin Island McDonald’s in St. Croix. We took the Seaplane over at 6:45 AM. Ever been on a Seaplane? If you have, you’ll laugh at the pilot’s advisory not to run up and down the aisles. Hard to do from a 90 degree stooped position!

We had arranged for a police escort for Ronald McDonald from the Seaplane dock through the lovely streets of Christiansted and then to the new restaurant. I was not surprised to see children jumping up and down screaming as they recognized the flamboyant red wig and bright yellow suit. What was really fun was watching the adults. Huge smiles broke out, cell phone cameras clicked away accompanied by exuberant waving and cheering that rivaled a presidential tour.

The restaurant was packed with happy children clutching French fries, laughing and dancing. Parents were thrilled to to have hours of entertainment for the price of a Happy Meal. I was more than happy to give out hundreds of balloons and have red rubber balls and coins magically pulled out of my ears.

Statistics indicate that the vibe transmitted from a grand opening lasts in the minds of consumers for 7 years. By all appearances, this McDonald’s is going to be very McPopular. 

The elusive vacation; postponed because of a client event. Then for new employee training. And again because the dog sitter moved. Finally, tickets purchased, Priceline negotiations negotiated, 3 ounce liquids contained in their zip lock bags. We sat back to enjoy the 11 hour trek to Buenos Aires. After all the late hours to prepare, the projects rushed to completion, I willed myself to relax with my $6 cocktail and dog eared copy of American Way and think ”Can this trip possibly be worth all the preparation hell?”. Absolutely.

All those CD Spanish lessons on the way to and from work didn’t prepare me for total and immediate immersion in another culture. The jolt of being a communicator not being able to communicate was paralyzing. Like many big cities, it looked familiar but the sound track had gone askew.

For instance, I looked forward to a famous Argentinean steak. I was prepared with my Spanish: Carne! Instead, I was faced with Lomito, Chorizo and Ojo de Bife. It was time to put away the dictionary and just go for it.

With my new what’s-the-worst-that-could-happen attitude I discovered many wonderful things. Proveleta, dulce de leche, alfajores and many tasty Malbecs. I also found that when I didn’t try so hard I could even carry on a conversation — so what if the verb tenses were wrong! It was part of the fun of exploring and meeting new people.

A vacation is like a mental defibrillator. Looking at people, places, menus freshly. Trying to figure out the advertising on TV and billboards without translations. Making new Facebook connections. It’s all good. It’s all fodder for the next campaign or radio spot, from a slightly different vantage point.

Take my advice: Take a vacation. Take a break from whatever you call normal. Jump start your brain.