Marketing on Twitter is still a new frontier. While there are certain best practices that have been developed in the last few years, it can be difficult to develop a winning strategy. But there are some brands that are seeing a real impact from their Twitter usage, and they each do something particularly well that you can learn from. Here are 7 well known brands that are getting the most out of Twitter. If you put some of these lessons into practice, I guarantee you’ll start getting more out of your Twitter marketing.

GM – @GMblogs – Put a friendly face on your business

Large corporations have a tendency to become monolithic brands, and over time they become bland and faceless. GM was one of these brands, but now they’re using Twitter to put a personable face on the company for consumers. Take a quick look at the account of @GMblogs and you’ll see a custom background with portraits of the four people responsible for that account. Rather than having a corporate style, all-encompassing “GM” Twitter account, they have a variety of accounts that all try to interact with followers on a personal level. They feature tweets like the one pictured above, where they focus attention on someone who works at GM. They also try to keep an ongoing conversation with their followers by utilizing @mentions and #hashtags.

Dell – @DellOutlet – Use special promotions to drive sales

Twitter gets a lot of attention for being an outlet for branding and customer service, but it has proven to be a good driver of sales as well. And no company has proved this more than Dell. In fact their Twitter account @DellOutlet has been directly responsible for over $3,000,000 in sales since they began the account. Yes, $3million pales in comparison to their overall sales, but it is still an impressive feat that others can learn from. The way they have racked up this amount of sales is simple, and easy for any business to do. They offer special discounts to their followers. Yes, it’s that simple! This strategy is very effective as it gives people a reason to buy, it allows them to reach new customers as these deals are retweeted out to others, and it lets Dell analyze sales generated through Twitter by looking at the discount codes used. By using this strategy I’m sure they have an astronomical ROI for their marketing through Twitter.

JetBlue – @JetBlue – Provide great, personalized customer service

Jet Blue has always tried to hang there hat on a great customer experience (despite some troubles). And now, they’re using Twitter to further their culture of providing superior customer service. I was especially taken by the tweet I’ve featured above. One of their customers was having trouble checking in for the 2^nd leg of their flight, and they sent a message asking for help to @JetBlue. Within minutes, they had an answer that explained EXACTLY where to go inside of the terminal. Talk about amazing service. Not only does providing public customer service through Twitter help your customers, it also helps with your branding. Everyone can see the effort you put into helping your customers, and others will take note which will definitely result in a sale down the road.

No Reservations (TV Show) – @NoReservations – Have your tweets seamlessly extend your brand’s messaging

Ok, ok. So No Reservations isn’t a “brand” per se. But it’s a great TV show, and there are definitely some things that we can learn from them as they market the show on Twitter. For those of you who watch No Reservations, you’ll know what I mean when I say Anthony Bourdain has a unique sense of humor. The way he presents the show is very witty, and often with a dry sense of humor that can be an acquired taste. And this style extends even to their tweets, as shown above. When I read this message from the @NoReservations, I imagined Anthony Bourdain actually saying it. It’s exactly the kind of narration he provides on the show, and your tweets should have the same continuity with your brand. If you’re a fun and trendy boutique, make sure that attitude is apparent in your tweets. If you’re a Real Estate agent that means serious business, make sure your tweets are professional and informative. A consistent messaging throughout your tweets will make it easy for your followers to approach you when they need something that you offer.

Home Depot – @HomeDepot – Provide valuable “inside information” to your followers

A lot of people on Twitter follow businesses, but they don’t ACTIVELY follow them. Basically, these businesses tweets are going in one ear and out the other. The reason for that is they aren’t providing value to their followers. As I noted in the lesson from @DellOutlet, providing discounts is a great way to sell using your tweets. But this is really only of value to someone that’s ready to buy your product. There is maybe 1% of the time that these tweets provide a real value to the follower that receives them (people ready to buy). But say they tweeted out a “Computer Buyer’s Guide”, suddenly their tweet becomes relevant to the other 99% of the people who follow them. One company that does a great job of this is Home Depot. They regularly tweet out tips that give their followers a real value in return for following them. By providing this value, their followers actively follow the @HomeDepot account to pick up the latest home improvement tips that they’re offering.

American Apparel – @americanapparel – Get involved with your followers on a more personal level

One thing that some businesses forget about Twitter is that it was originally intended to be a way for people to connect with friends and other people. In the rush to start using Twitter to market to potential customers, it became just another outlet for their corporate messaging. These accounts are littered with sporadic product feature announcements, trade show information, and other stuff that most people could care less about. If your business wants to get real value from marketing on Twitter, you need to use it as it was originally intended – to connect with people on a personal level! American Apparel does a great job with this, as shown in the tweet above. If you look at their account, there are probably thousands of @messages to their followers. By interacting with their followers on a personal level, a strong bond is created between them and the American Apparel brand. By showing your followers the same personalized attention, they will form the same connection with you. If you’re wondering how to do this, here’s a tip. If you aren’t already, start using TweetDeck to send out your tweets. When you use TweetDeck, you can set up searches that will show every tweet that contains specific keywords in real time. By finding tweets that relate to your business, you can start initiating relevant conversations with potential customers.

Burger King – @theBKlounge – Use humor when appropriate

All business and no fun makes your business boring to follow! I’m not saying that you need to be the next Mitch Hedburg and that every tweet needs to be hilarious, but a little bit here and there can go a long way. (Make sure that it fits with your brand image as well!) Your followers aren’t just following you, and boring tweets are drowned out in the noise of all the other tweets they’re seeing. Make your business stand out in the crowd by using humor, and people will be more interested in what you have to say. This can be tricky, so be sure that you’re not offending anyone with your humor. You don’t want to be “That Guy”.

Is your business doing something particularly well that others can learn from? Do you have a Twitter tip that you’re putting to use successfully? Let me know by commenting below and I’ll incorporate it in a future article.

It’s easy to start tweeting for business. All you need to do is sign up for a Twitter account and off you go. But without some guidance it can be hard to figure out what works and what doesn’t when tweeting for your business. Luckily for you, there are a lot of kind folks out there that want to share their wisdom when it comes to business tweeting! If you’ve read my 6 Tips for Generating Leads on Twitter then you’re off to a good start. But its a long road to becoming a Twitter marketing expert (I still learn something new every day). So without further ado here’s 30 amazing articles that include how to’s, tips & tricks, techniques, and resources. I guarantee that if you read these you’ll not only be well on your way to being a Twitter expert, but you’ll start seeing a real impact on your business too.

How To Guides:

1. Twitter 101

Twitter’s official guide to business tweeting. This is a great starting point for anyone tweeting for business.

2. Tweeting For Business

Great article from TwiTip from the perspective of a reluctant business tweeter.

3. Use Twitter for your Business the Right Way

Great article by Aira Bongco on how to effectively tweet for your business.

4. Twitter 101 for Business (Presentation)

A quick presentation from Twitter that will give you a quick overview of their Twitter 101 mentioned earlier.

5. Building an Effective Business Profile on Twitter

In this article, Michael Gray goes through the basics of tweeting for business.

6. HOW TO: Create Custom Twitter Backgrounds

Here’s a great resource from Mashable that helps you create your own custom Twitter background, a must have to separate yourself from the competition.

7. Build Your Thought Capital on Twitter

Josh Sternberg shows you some basics for establishing thought leadership using Twitter.

8. 40 of the Best Twitter Brands and the People Behind Them

Another great article from Mashable that takes you behind the scenes of some of the most successful businesses using Twitter.

9. HOW TO: Get Retweeted on Twitter

Getting retweeted lets your company’s message spread fast and far. Here’s a great how to guide on how to get retweeted.

10. HOW TO: Leverage Twitter for Hiring

Lots of emphasis is put on the branding and marketing aspects of Twitter, but here’s a good article showing that using Twitter can do even more for your business.

11. Mashable Twitter Guide Book 2009

Mashable has some amazing resources for all businesses using Twitter, and here they’ve provided a very comprehensive guide to using Twitter.

Tips, Tricks, and Ideas:

12. Tweeting for business: tips from 140 Characters Conference

An interesting article that broaches the subject of business tweeting and ROI.

13. Multiple Twitter Accounts In Business

This article shows a few different opinions on the subject of having one or multiple Twitter accounts for a business.

14. Make Social Media a Business Tool, Not a Distraction

An interesting article that discusses the effect Twitter has on productivity.

15. 20 Must Read Beginner Twitter Tips for Small Business Owners

This is a great list of tips for any small business that is using Twitter for marketing and branding.

16. 5 More Things You Do To Get Business On Twitter

A quick list of some great ideas by Chris Johnson of Guerilla.Me.

17. 8 Ways that Twitter Can Grow Your Freelance Business

You don’t have to have a company to tweet for business! Here’s a great list of ways freelancers can leverage Twitter for business.

18. 5 Uncommon Ways Your #Business Can Use Twitter

Most businesses just see Twitter as a way to promote their product or service. In this artice, you’ll find 5 other ways that your business can be using Twitter.

19. Tweeting for profit

Great case study from CNN about how one small business made $70,000+ using twitter. Hows that for ROI?

20. “Tweeting” for Business: Top 5 Dos and Don’ts

Quick list of business tweeting dos and don’ts

21. Tweeting 101: How To Use Twitter Effectively For Your Business

Some basics on leveraging twitter, including how to utilize Twitter’s real-tim search

22. 2 Business Reasons to Tweet

Here’s a thought provoking article on 2 reasons your business should be tweeting, and 2 reasons why you shouldn’t.

23. 7 Secrets to Tweeting Your Corporate Culture

Just sending out product announcements, auto-tweets, and other boring content isn’t the way to promote your brand on Twitter. This great article featured on Mashable gives some great tips on how to tweet your corporate culture to really further your brand.

24. 5 Twitter Tactics for Building a Stellar Brand

Another Mashable article on building your brand on Twitter. This one features a great tip on monitoring your reputation using Twitter.

25. Social Media for Business: The Dos & Don’ts of Sharing

A very interesting article that has some great tips on getting the most out of Twitter. I especially like the concept they have of not being a “Social Schizo” by keeping a consistent voice with your tweets.

26. 10 Twitter Tools to Organize Your Tweeps

If you’ve read all of these resources and put their ideas into action, you probably have a lot of followers! Here’s 10 tools that can help you get a handle on all of your followers.

27. Dude – Dell’s Making Money Off Twitter!

Dell may be the most successful brand on Twitter, having sold $3,000,000+ of merchandise directly from Twitter-related deals. Here’s an article from Wired that talks about their success.

28. Five Smart Ways to Tweet for Business

This great article described 5 different types of business tweets, and when to send them.

29. Twitter Marketing Strategies – Tweeting With the Best in the Business

Here’s a great article to get you started with developing a Twitter-based marketing strategy.

30. The Proper Way to Pitch on Twitter

Lot’s of marketers bombard their followers with pitches, but they can end up failing and lead to UnFollows. This article can help you sharpen your Twitter Pitching skills!

Twitter has a lot of buzz, and lately I haven’t been able channel surf past CNN without hearing about it. And for good reason – it is a simple way of connecting huge amounts of people. The viral network effect that Twitter has is powerful, and leveraging that power to find potential customers is a no brainer. But figuring out the best way to do it isn’t easy. Here are six tips that you can start using today to generate interest and leads for your business.

1.   Build a following that wants what you have

With so many people on Twitter, it can be overwhelming to find the right people to connect with. If you take a quick look around, you’ll see people you’ve never heard of before with 5, 10, even 15,000 followers. Upon seeing this, business tweeters often fall in to the trap of “I need to get as many followers as possible!”. There’s one huge problem though, how many of those followers would actually want or need what you have?

I would rather have 10 followers that could end up being potential customers instead of 1,000 followers who don’t even care what I have to offer. So how do you find people who might be interested in what you have? Easy – by using Twitter’s powerful real-time search. When you are starting to build your following, search for users that have tweeted something related your business and follow them. When they see that you’re following them they’ll check your profile to see if they should follow you back, and right there you’ve already had your first interaction. Another (sneaky) way of finding followers interesting in what you have is to look at who is following your competitors. Follow people who are following your competition, and they might follow you as well. Once you’ve built a good following, people should start to follow you on there own.

2 .  Tweet early, tweet often

Twitter relationships are built on conversation, so don’t be the loner who stands off to the side at the party. If you want people to think of your company when they need a product you sell, you need to be at the top of their mind as they make the decision. In order to make that happen, you need to tweet often in order to have ongoing contact with your following. Many people unfollow accounts that haven’t tweeted recently, so you need to keep it up in order to hold on to them. One way to have regular tweets is to tweet things that you think are going to be interesting to your followers, not just things that have to do with your company.

3.  Create a dialog with your followers

Twitter has built in ways to converse directly with others, like @replies and direct messages. Direct messages are usually used by people who are well known to each other, but you can definitely leverage @replied to get your followers involved. The key to this is initiating the conversation. Take a look at some of your followers tweets, and send them a message by tweeting “@followername” and your message. This person will see that message, and more often than not send a reply back. Then others will see the message and maybe start talking with you. Before you know it, you’ll have a conversation going with many of your followers.

4.  Keep followers up to date on your business, but not too much

So far I’ve given you some tips on finding and interacting with people on Twitter, but I haven’t told you how to sell to your twitter followers. And that was on purpose. Twitter is much different than PPC ads, direct mail, or any other form of media you use for marketing. If you want to generate business TODAY, then Twitter might not be the right choice for you. But Twitter can be an enormously powerful tool in the long run for your business, because of the fact that you can engage potential customers even when they aren’t in the buying process. So by all means keep followers informed of what is happening with your business, like new product offerings or sales, but be sure to mix it in with plenty of good conversation.

5.  Offer your Twitter followers a special deal

Everyone like’s a deal! By offering your Twitter followers a deal, they feel like a special valued customer. It’s also inviting them to take a look at what you have to offer, and if you’ve followed the previous tips, there’s a pretty good chance their interested. Twitter deals are also very likely to be passed from your follower to their followers via retweet, so there is a potential to tap even more than your following. There are a couple tools out there that can help you distribute deals on Twitter, my favorite is www.twtQpon.com.

6.  Build content on your site that will interest your followers

Twitter, in a way, is walled off from the world. Yes you can interact with millions of people, but you’re doing so on Twitter’s turf. All of my previous tips are key to building a solid following and communicating with them, but eventually you want them to take the next step of buying your product or service. An easy first step for them is to take a look at your website. By building content on your site that will interest your Twitter followers, you are having them take this first step on your own terms. Just like we don’t want PPC traffic going to a homepage, we don’t want Twitter traffic going their either. Some things that your followers appreciate the most are pictures, videos, how-to guides, and much more. Be sure that you have a way of capturing their information right on the page you’ve sent them to, you want it to be as easy as possible for them to start the buying process with you.

Twitter is an extremely powerful tool for connecting with potential customers. But it is definitely part of a long term strategy, not a short-tem tactic. Gaining a relevant following and starting the conversation is not easy, but it has huge rewards. You’ll learn a lot more about using Twitter for your business during that process, and these tips should give you a solid start.