When it comes to internet entrepreneurship the key is experimentation.  Twitter is point proof that is it very difficult to know whether your idea is going to be the next web sensation or a complete dud.  To many people’s surprise, Twitter has gone mainstream and is completely entrenched in today’s web culture.  Twitter has become much more than a place where teenagers post what they are doing every five minutes.  It is now a place for serious business.

 

Many internet ideas never get off the drawing board.  Of the few that make it to implementation, most don’t get enough traction and die soon after launch.  Some may catch on initially, but then fades away as the novelty factor expires.  But a lucky few not only make it big – they become entrenched in the web culture.  Twitter is one of these “lucky” few.

 

Do you remember Google before it became a verb?  Why would anyone go to Google to do a search if people could just enter their search in Yahoo, a place that most people were already familiar with?  That thought went through many people’s heads.  YouTube?  Who is going to waste their time watching videos from strangers, many people asked?  As the newest internet phenom, Twitter at first did not make sense to many people either.  What is a micro blogging platform for?  Who would want to be limited to a couple of lines in their blogs if there are so many fine full blogging platforms available out there?  What seemed like a limitation turned out to be a main advantage as more and more people started using Twitter for business.

 

In the article Brands that Tweet, Paul Dunay put together an impressive list of companies that are using Twitter as a marketing tool – many are well known Fortune 500 companies.  Many travel companies, including hotels, airlines and travel agencies are joining Twitter to pitch their services, provide updates about travel conditions, as well as respond to user inquiries.  This is particularly effective when using Twitter’s mobile capabilities.

 

As reported in the USA Today, Jetblue Airways is an avid user of the site.  It responds to tweets by directing users to tools that provide flight-status updates and weather alerts.  Morgan Johnston, manager of corporate communication at Jetblue has this to say about Twitter:

 

“We consider our Twitter account akin to an information booth.  Responding to situations after they’ve happened is a great idea; responding to situations while they’re happening is even better.”

 

When the US Airways flight 1549 crash landed in the river off Manhattan, Janis Krums was onboard a ferry which became a rescue boat.  On the way to the incident, Janis took pictures with his iPhone and shared it on Twitter, writing the following tweet:

 

“There is a plane in the Hudson.  I’m on the ferry going to pick up the people.  Crazy.”

 

Within a few minutes Janis was talking to MSNBC about the accident, enjoying a moment of fame. This is real time news unlike anything seen before the internet.  Now this capability has become even more readily available through the power of Twitter.

 

Marriott hotels has two Twitter accounts, one for public relations and customer service and the other focused on Marriott’s effort to go green.  Southwest Airlines even holds “Tweetups” for users to get together.  Tourism officials from Baltimore, Chicago and Philadelphia are active users of the site, offering tips on many things from restaurants to shopping.  California’s Monterrey Aquarium, the Brooklyn Museum and the San Francisco Zoo are all users of the tool.  This is not just kid’s stuff anymore…

 

If you want to learn more about how to use Twitter as a business tool, I highly recommend reading Guy Kawasaki’s post How to Use Twitter as a Twool.  If you are not already taking advantage of Twitter to expand your presence on the Web, it is time to get with the times.  If you still don’t have an account, open one.  As you do so, remember to follow me on Twitter so you can get updates on what is happening at Worldwide Success.