What’s In It For Me?-- An Inside Look at the Perks of Twitter

Twitter. The mere mention of the word draws up countless different reactions from people. Some say it’s stupid and a waste of time, some say it’s entertaining, and some people use it for professional use. Personally, I’ve caught the Twitter bug and declare myself an addict, and I’ve accepted it. But there has to be a reason as to why this social networking site has become such a phenomenon. No matter what you’re reason for using Twitter, there’s something that is drawing you to it. Twitter gives you access to a whole population of people who you most likely would never have to opportunity to interact with. Sure, you can always see what your favorite celebrities are up to, but it also increases your opportunities for business ventures.

I did an internship this past summer in Los Angeles for an entertainment public relations company. One of the company’s clients is BodyFactory, an LA based smoothie and protein shake business. Many celebrities are often spotted there and the pictures of them with BodyFactory smoothies always end up in all the weekly magazines (i.e. In Touch, Us Weekly, People, etc). It was always important for us to make sure any paparazzi pictures of celebrities with BodyFactory products get media exposure. I was at work one morning and read a tweet from Kim Kardashian saying that she was at BodyFactory getting a smoothie after a work out. Because of that tweet, we were able to find a shot of Kim with her smoothie and get it to all the weekly magazines. Kim Kardashian is a well known celebrity and her name often creates a lot of buzz. This was beneficial for us as well as the client. It may seem odd and extremely intrusive to keep tabs on the lives of other people, but it does do a lot of good, professionally speaking. This is just one example of how people use Twitter to enhance business.

Many companies often advertise products on Twitter, offering coupons and discounts for a product of a service. Through Twitter, businesses have access to countless amounts of people. It serves as the perfect medium between business and consumer. It’s basically a forum for free advertisement. Not only can businesses network themselves professionally, they can network with themselves directly with their audience.

So to those who are still on the fence about Twitter, just try it. The least you’ll get out of it is some easy entertainment. And who knows, maybe you’ll become a Twitter junkie and take your business to the next level. It takes some getting used to but once you’re familiar with the ins and outs of Twitter and see how beneficial it could be for networking and business, there’s no reason not to enjoy it. Take advantage of having the world at your fingertips!