Add Twitter To Your Tool Box

Chances are you’ve heard about Twitter by now. It’s the latest, greatest social networking tool, a mini blog of 140 characters or less. It’s gotten the most practical use so far by media organizations breaking news or filing real-time updates from anywhere this side of a sports arena to a court room.

But its applications are nearly limitless. I added Twitter to high school sports web sites in the fall and got my first taste of its immediacy when a key player broke his leg during a football game. The item was on the web while he was still lying on the ground.

Game rained out? The message was Twittered, which broadcast to anyone who added the feed to their moble device. Imagine the lucky parent who got this zapped to their phone instead of showing up at an empty field.

I’ve recently discovered that Twitter has also hit Washington in a big way. Both Houses are on Twitter and plenty of legislators too. I belong to the feed of my local representative, Steve Israel. He does an amazing job of posting regularly. Senator John McCain has been Tweeting Top 10 earmarks for weeks now. Great stuff!

Looking for entrepreneurial wisdom? Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh is a regular Twitterer with a big following.

Wanna get closer to your favorite celeb? I’m following daily updates from Shaq. Eli Manning is represented too.

The bottom line is people are just beginning to scratch the surface with Twitter. If you run a social business, what better way to stay connected to your customers? Even if you’re not, the social media craze is not going away. Find a way to tap into it today.

As owner of an online media company and a former Newsday reporter, I find the scope of innovation on the net remarkable. And I know it can be daunting too. If you need any help trying to move forward, give me a shout. Better yet, Twitter me @jmolinet.

Blog originally posted at LI Entrepreneurs.com