Twitter – the micro-blogging platform known to just a few people, until a few months back, has gone mainstream with more than six million subscribers. Of course, this number is growing on a daily basis. Even renowned news outlets including CNN, Fox News and others are leveraging Twitter platform to assess the reaction of viewers and have come up with discussions regarding breaking stories and issues.

So, let’s answer the question; how applicable is Twitter to business? Is it just another social networking platform, or does it have any business value?

By experience, Twitter is very beneficial for small and large businesses. The only distraction this platform may constitute is not allowing you to have time for family and friends – once you are stuck with Twitter and the huge benefits it offers your business, it is difficult to allocate time for pleasure.

Here are top ways by which Twitter can be beneficial to your business:

• Twitter Places a Human Face on Your Business or Company

Blog is a useful tool when it comes to placing a human face to any business (making a company to be more personable). But, unlike Twitter, you need to write when blog is involved. Using Twitter to accomplish this task requires a maximum limit of 140 characters for every entry.

In addition, you may not always be mindful of your posts when using Twitter; you could just tweet for fun, yet achieve a personable identity on a corporate image with a seemingly trivial tweet.

• Promoting Product and/or service

With substantial followers, you can start promoting your offerings. Bear in mind that a good number of Twitter users would use specific search queries to find their subjects of interest. Thus, ensure that you use keywords related to your business – this can even bring you people who are not originally your followers.

Warning: Ensure that you promote your offerings tactfully on Twitter and any social media forum. Don’t be all out ‘tooting your own horn’ – ensure that you contribute meaningfully to other issues discussed on the platform. You can emulate companies such as M&M, Southwest Air and a few others who use Twitter platform in a balanced way – mixing fun and business promotion on Twitter platform.

• Reaching Out to the Community

When it comes to reaching out to a community of people, Twitter is a valuable tool. I’ve witnessed the use of Twitter platform to point people’s attention to charitable causes e.g. breast cancer awareness. You can also use Twitter to connect with people at particular events such as parties, conferences, local gatherings etc. You may ask how relevant and beneficial this can be to a business. Don’t forget that you need to work towards building a community around your offerings – this is where Twitter would come handy. When you set up your company’s Twitter profile and send invitation to your responsive customers and prospects, you are connecting directly to them.

Also, Twitter helps you to carry out polls/surveys about how people view your product or services. You can also achieve brand management with Twitter. There’s a whole lot you can do to grow your business using Twitter platform.