My views may be biased since I'm a blogger and a regular user of the various social media platforms available to anyone such as Twitter, Facebook, etc.  The future will see an increase in the use of the new technology.  Such a shift will radically transform how we transact business and how we communicate.  Survival requires a flexibility and willingness to adapt to new technology and new situations.

Most of my clients are using social media as part of their marketing plan.  Some have been hesitant to adapt and re-tool their marketing efforts from traditional media marketing to social media even though social media is cheaper and provides many more options to reach potential clients.

Twitter is a micro-blogging service that allows quick and free communication based upon the question, "What are you doing?"  Answers to that question are known as updates or "tweets".  Each update is limited to 140 characters so the tweets have to be short and right to the point.  In order to receive an update from someone using Twitter, you have to be "following" them.  For businesses, Twitter can provide a quick, free way to stay in front of clients and potential clients with relevant industry news.  It's a great "Top of the Mind" strategy to stay connected to your clients.

Of course, Twitter like the other social media, has its drawbacks.  Twitter only allows short communications.  Also, just like a blog, your tweets have to be relevant and useful for the end user.  Your clients probably don't want to hear about what you had for breakfast or what color shirt you're wearing today.  Tweets should be end user oriented ie.  how can this help my client?  The same is true for blogs.  If the blog post doesn't offer the reader useful information or commentary, the post isn't serving the client. 

Social media utilization requires a skill set that's different from the traditional marketing practices.  If you decided to take the plunge, hire someone who can help you plan a social media strategy.  The time and money invested will be well worth it.