“It’s great for us for a number of reasons. One, it prevents the phone call coming in during the middle of the lunch rush asking what the soup is. It is a common inquiry that we receive,” said Abbie Batchelder, who recently took over as owner of Joppa Fine Foods at the Tannery after several years as manager. “And two, for people logging on to the What’s The Soup site that maybe did not know we were here, it definitely plugs us that way and gets new customers coming in.”

The soup du jour? A click away (Boston.com)

“Twitter is a goldmine,” Rumford said, adding that a number of big consumer brands are already on the site–including Starbucks, which currently boasts about 6 million followers.

Rumford also noted that small businesses are using Twitter to advertise, citing the example of a gourmet Korean taco truck business in Los Angeles which since its launch in November has built a following through Twitter: “The driver tweets where the truck will be 20 minutes ahead of time, and literally hundreds of people show up,” one conference attendee confirmed.

Tweeters Use Twitter For Business

“Back in the day, as they say, a business that doesn’t advertise was soon to be out of business. These days, a business without an online presence will soon be shopping for a Rest in Peace sign as well.

How can you survive today without a website? You can’t! How can you survive without driving traffic to your website? Again, you can’t. If you are still relying on the marketing weapons of yesterday, you might still attract a few prospects. But without an online presence for people to find you and validate who you are, you’ll continue to miss the majority of your potential customers.”

Where ‘o Where Have Your Customers Gone? (EVLiving)

“Step 1: Ask the Right Questions

Before taking on a project, Wexley asks about a company’s business, marketing goals, and reputation. But the most important question is this: What sets your company apart from your competitors? It sounds easier to answer than it is. “A lot of clients say, ‘We have simply the best cheeseburger in Seattle,’” McAllister says. “But you see that claim on every restaurant menu.” A unique quality should be one that your customers recognize, not the same old line you’ve been repeating for years.”

The Wexley Way: How to Think Creatively in 8 Easy Steps (Inc.)

“Even better, if they endorse the business to their followers, this becomes an online species of word-of-mouth-marketing. So, how do you encourage this to happen?

Twitter is full of word of mouth Marketing opportunities. Here’s a sample of just a few tweets I saw that came up in the last week for people seeking NYC restaurants:

• “I need a good reco for a restaurant in NYC with fried chicken. Anyone have suggestions?”
• “looking for inexpensive restaurant options in NYC. Anyone want to help? I’ll be in Soho, but all around the island”
• “I’m seeking NYC Mexican restaurant recommendations, any thoughts?”
• “looking for a NYC restaurant recommendation for me and my lady friends…”

If your business is something people seek out frequently, like an entertainment venue or restaurant, then consider monitoring Twitter mentions containing apropos keyword phrases and send replies recommending your place to them.”

Harness the Power of Twitter For Local Marketing