Ding, Searching For Tweets...

Reposted from my work blog:

While most public relations practitioners are coming to grips with social networks like Facebook and Myspace, one emerging communications platform is quickly becoming a key medium for consumer marketing.

Twitter, a micro-blogging community allows users to comment to one another in 140 characters or less. "Tweeters" access their account from the web, a stand-alone application, or their mobile phone via text message. As more and more users flock to this platform, several consumer brands like Zaphos, Jetblue, and H & R Block have been quick to set up accounts to quickly reach their audiences.

And lovable, charismatic, innovative Southwest Airlines is just one company leading the way. On Twitter since October 2007, members of their PR team respond to customer complaints, questions, trivia, and jokes, all with the jovial jest that customers have come to love from Southwest Airlines. In fact, Twitter was used to help repair one customer's (and blogger's) misdirected anger to the airline with a personal touch and a joke. According to their press releases more than 500,000 visitors have been reached through their blogging group, Nuts About Southwest.

By coming to their audience in this personal way, consumers will continue to recognize Southwest as one of the friendliest brands in the cyber-sky.