I've been taking an informal poll when talking to my industrial business associates lately. "Do you Twitter?" If the answer is yes, the next question is "Do you use it as a marketing tool for your business?" Of the very few who do Twitter, none of them are using Twitter as a marketing tool. I don't find this surprising, since 1 - many industrial marketers have lagged behind in embracing Web based technologies and 2- let's face it, even those of us who "market" industrial products for a living don't quite understand yet how we can incorporate social networking sites like Twitter into the mix.
I just read the cover article from the June 15 issue of Time magazine, "How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live" by Steven Johnson. He discusses how much more complex Twitter really is, despite its 140-character message limitation. "Tweets" aren't just words: within that 140 character message, the user is also able to share links to articles, videos, Web sites and anything else that might be of interest to an audience.
I found the article interesting (I usually do, when it has anything to do with marketing communications!) The author builds a strong case for his belief that Twitter will ultimately help shape news, Internet searches and advertising, stating, "In fact, every major channel of information will be Twitterfied in one way or another in the coming years..." Of particular interest to marketers, the article provides a glimpse into how the future of Twitter may result in a greater level of interaction and engagement between businesses and their customers.
This is a great article for anyone who's wondered what all the fuss is about over Twitter. It's especially worthwhile for the creative industrial marketer who may be wondering how Twitter might affect the future of industrial marketing. It's a leap . . . but it could happen! Check out the article here.

Hi, I'm Kerry O'Malley - Industrial Marketing Muse and professional Marketect. I have over 30 years of experience developing marketing communications for engineered industrial products and services sold to industry. For the past 13 years, I've done that as a consultant through my company, Marketects.
I love the idea of advertising (and good writing) being catalysts that move people to action. I'm jazzed by the challenge of creating concepts for communications campaigns that work. I'm intrigued by the possibilities that exist on the Internet for the industrial marketer, and I'm always thinking about how to translate those opportunities to my clients. I've never practiced marketing in the retail, mass consumer arena, but I see a lot of that kind of marketing that inspires me and translates over well to the industrial world. I hope I can inspire YOU!
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