Twitter is a great tool to help you connect to current and potential customers, just be careful what you say.

Here’s my follow Friday list—this Friday we’re focusing on writers we love to read:

@CPEats – her local food Tweets keep us up to date
@thepioneerwoman – her images and words are the heartland
@ruthreichl – her Tweets are food/sensual poetry
@IsabellesTravel – her travel Tweets keep us in the know
@TannerLatham –he writes about the real life
@maryalicemonroe – because she’s always sharing something great
@angiemizzell – great local voice
@TLynnNews – she is always in the know about what’s happening in Charleston
@TheGourmetGirl – sharing the best news about food, drink, eating.

As Twitter has matured, many small business owners have joined the conversation. However, there are those out there who have tried it and don’t understand how it works. Or they have “looked into it” and are not sure where to begin.

Recently I’ve discussed social media with several groups. There are so many who feel that the whole Twitter world is going to swamp them. And there are those who are afraid of appearing silly. My number one tip is to remember that this is social media. Your goal is to be social. Your task is to engage, learn about your neighbors and develop community.

If you’re having issues trying to determine how to tweet, what to tweet or when, this post from Mark Hayward on Twitip will help you understand some of the fundamentals.

As the dust settles on this year we see the frantic scramble to get into social media normalizing. More businesses understand the new conversation channels or are at least trying to incorporate them in their mix. We understand that television and print media while changing will not go away. We understand that there is a conversation and that the customer truly owns the brand.

What do you see in your crystal ball for 2010?

We recognize that the U.S. is composed of a diverse population, with 38% of us being over 44 years of age; 37.4% of us being 18-44 years of age and the remainder under 17 years of age.

As marketing and business communications professionals, this means we comprehend each audience segment has preferred information channels. As we promote our services and products, we understand that a 21 year old will get their news from Google reader and that at 58 year old from most probably from either TV or print media. That there are some of us who, while in the older segments, use new technology, embracing mobile media as much as the younger generations. We also understand that not only younger generations care about social responsibility; that social responsibility is a required part of being in business. That when it comes to media relations, the media are just as stressed as other business segments and are trying to do as much with fewer resources. That our job is to work in tandem with them by supplying truly interesting information and sources to help them do their jobs.

2010 promises to be rich with opportunity for small businesses to act like big corporations when it comes to reaching customers through all the channels with a straight to consumer approach that is more about what the customer wants in their lives.

In summary:

• Marketing Communications
  • More segmentation of message—We’ll use Twitter, Facebook, the local newspaper as well as television, and increasingly, mobile technology.
  • Social media acceptance as one of the major message delivery vehicles
  • Social responsibility as a requirement of doing business
  • Blurring of the difference between advertising and public relations
• For PR
  • Video pitching
  • Social media acceptance as one of the major message delivery vehicles to media contacts and the consumer
  • Increasing message delivery direct to the consumer
  • We’ll turn more to multi media releases, using the power of video sharing, and pod casts to enrich press releases
  • Public relations professionals as major advisors for not only publicity but for advertising and marketing messages.

Share your prognostications with us. We look forward to learning from everyone how they see the new year shaping up for them.

So far in 2009, 66 percent of marketers used social media in some form, according to the Association of National Advertisers. That’s up from just 20 percent in 2007.”

The article brings together the latest metrics and good case studies about how several businesses use social media. The article also mentions several of the best of class tools for using social media and tracking results.

There were some who are just learning about the conversational aspects of how to use social media and those who were already savvy. All were interested in the opportunity to increase their business using social media.

How can you use social media to grow your business? Here are some excellent ideas from David Hale on Examiner.com.

They are as varied as the businesses represented and all feature some great ideas for inspiration.

Establish a social media account if you don’t have one. Find others with similar interests, follow or friend them and read their tweets and posts to facebook. Add your own in response to theirs. Get a feeling for what interests them. When you are comfortable, you can begin to initiate conversation about subjects of interest to you. As you continue to find followers, you will gain followers. Then you can find opportunities that will allow for the right opening for inquiries about doing business together.

Just remember, the emphasis is on social, not media and you’ll be on the right track.

Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons pthread

Used well, Twitter humanizes people in corporations and behind brands. Just ask the folks @Zappos shoes.

Twitter is a very effective tool to shape brand perceptions. There are a crop of articles and examples of how Twitter is helping PR pros and companies.

MediaBistro which is a great resource for publicists and writers posted an interview with Robert Quigley, Austin American-Statesman Internet Editor that includes how he has used Twitter to increase audience and develop new audiences for that publication.

AdAge has a great article from @TomMartin regarding how he demonstrated the ability of Twitter to reshape perceptions of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. His research before and after his Tweets regarding the festival demonstrated attudinal change.

Closer to home @webprgirl Lyn Mettler is using Twitter to promote a virtual Myrtle Beach Blast. Not only will she reshape awareness for the participating hotels, she will plant the idea of Myrtle Beach in the minds of people at the right booking time in the year. It will be interesting to compare and track bookings at each hotel before and after the event.

Tweet on! I’m @Cheryl_Smithem on Twitter and I look forward to learning about your business and how you use Twitter. Share your experience. Write up how your company is using Twitter and I’ll post with your byline.

I think we’re on a roll in Charleston with WCBD TV2 getting all their on camera and production/executive staff on Twitter. Jared Smith wrote a warm welcome tutorial for them and for all of us who’d like to learn more about the major tools on Twitter.

And with the Charleston Metro Chamber hosting a Web 2.0 seminar for their members, sleepy Charleston is cresting into the new age.

Many here are already tweeting away and you can find out what’s the latest to cheep about by searching Twitter using #CHS.

Even though my 22 year old son does not get Twitter, many journalists do. You can find who at Business Week is using Twitter and many other major publications such as the New York Times.

In order to share your news with these publications, follow first, learn their personalities and then when appropriate you can possibly even tweet a story idea. However, make sure to develop a relationship with all you follow and add to the conversation. On Twitter it gets pretty boring when all you do is promote your company and products. Try to befriend and assist. Share resources. Be transparent about who you are. But remember the twitterverse is live and what you tweet lives on.

Be sure to follow me @cheryl_smithem

Photo courtesy of flickr’s Creative Commons and nagillum

I have become addicted to Twitter, Linked In and Facebook. Just today I found (through a connection on Facebook) a former frat member from my college days. However, what’s even more wonderful is a new app that I’ve learned about that is helping me keep all my status and blogs up to date. It’s Ping.fm and this update just posted from there.

Now I can post to my blog, update my status, tweet –all with one online application–but wait, I can also use my phone to update and can ping from it.

Now with Jott, Ping and others I feel as if I have an entire staff.

Found Slant Media whose site starts up in dynamic flash with the classic, Percy Faith, (There’s a) Summer Place from the movie of the same name. I remember this all from my early years. It takes me so far back…I think I’m back in the ’60s. My mom in her dress, with her hats and gloves on Sunday. Makes me think of the radio on in all the houses I went to as a child. Elevator music was not a bad thing in those days.

Then there’s the great stuff that I’ve seen from other creative, inventive and wonderful folks. I’m lovin’ this 2.o life.