Companies are still struggling to figure out how to use Twitter but there are plenty of examples of how to make the platform work.

Yes, you can use Twitter to create a following but unless your company is involved with an activity that has exciting new things to talk about and/or people have a passionate interest in the subject matter, you’ll need to get creative.

Por ejemplo: Vail Resorts came face to face last year with the harsh reality that people no longer take four to six months to plan a vacation, due in large part to the struggling economy. Consumers uncertainty about whether or not they are going to have a job in six months makes them a lot more apprehensive about planning that far in advance, and more importantly, they worry about locking in and not being able to take advantage of a hot last minute offer. Doh! To combat this situation, Vail Resorts pulled all the print buys that were requiring a large lead time and opted for the short lead time advertising available via Twitter and through other social media outlets.

So, if a snow storm yields an unexpected bounty, yeeeha…look for Tweets that feature links to photos and videos advertising waist deep powder bro. Snowstorm hits every single solitary ski area but yours?…expect a blast of Tweets offering deep discounts on lift tickets to get bargain hunters to the mountain. Either way, the resort can provide real time advertising that fits into a decision window that has shrunk to an average of two weeks. Click HERE to listen to Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz talk about their new approach.

Dell computers on the other hand amassed a following of tech savvy folks eagerly awaiting information on new products and finally figured out a way to use it. Last June Dell announced that it sold more than $3 million in PCs and accessories though Twitter (see article HERE.) The Dell outlet sells refurbished computers and other accessories via Twitter and boasts almost 1.5 mm followers (read about it HERE.)

The bottom line is this – examine all aspects of your business and find a unique selling opportunity to leverage social media for. Short lead advertising is effective and low-cost IFyou are on your toes and have strategies at hand.

*Image from HERE.

Tags: phoenix advertising agency, real time advertising, short lead advertising, social media, Twitter