is it just me or has twitter just recently become as essential as an email address?  every newsletter i get…every blog…now has a link to a twitter follow!

it’s hard to escape talk of Twitter. you hear about Ashton’s millions of followers. celebrities are on it. a friend may be on it. and you’ve either embraced it or shunned it. so let’s talk about how it can help your business. several boutiques are tweeting and i’ve talked to a couple to get their input on why they joined and what they’re tweeting about.

@mabelzora joined because she just launched a gorgeous new website and wanted exposure.  she tries to mix personal and business tweets to match the tone of the store and further her brand.

@Urbanic joined to connect to with like-minded folks who love design, to keep current with online communication, and keep people updated on goings-on.

@MoxiePDX considers it a way to advertise for free, pass along interesting info, and see what other businesses are up to.

@RadishPDX would love to learn more about how to use it – but wonders if it might lose it’s charm if it becomes a paid service.

as for me  - @theproprietress  joined to spread the word about this blog and connect with other boutiques, designers and fashion-forward people i can blog about.  i was hesitant to join – thinking it was lame…but now i’m enjoying it.  i only post about once a day (that’s all i have time for!) – but i see people tweeting like crazy and think they may have a richer experience.

i think it’s certainly a great tool – when used properly.  it can either expand your voice to a new set of listeners (where you may post a link to something with more info) or it can spark conversations.  as a business user, i’d recommend avoiding the diary route(where you post what you ate for dinner or your opinion on last nite’s Gossip Girl).  Unless it relates to your business (outfit of the day, perhaps?), or promotes your brand, of course.

I used to write newsletters (boy – that seems outdated now!) and was an early store-blogger with ooma.  because my store was an extension of me – i aimed to keep the flavor of all my musings essentially me.  your store is a brand – so just make sure your voice is consistent – whether talking to a customer, blogging, websiting, newslettering and yes – tweeting.

if you’re a newbie  – you’ll notice all sorts of short-hand that may seem foreign.  here’s a great article by @michellerafter that helps navigate the best ways to use Twitter.

happy tweeting, little birds!