Is Twitter right for your company?

Don’t start using this social media platform without a plan. Here are a few ideas

These and other companies are keeping close tabs on the 140-characters-or-fewer “tweets” which are rising up from among the millions of Twitter users. They are looking to connect with people who happen to mention their brands during the course of daily life, whether it’s “Had a bowl of XX cereal last night. Was soooo good.” or “New XX phone confusing. Tips for programming?” or “Picked up rental car from XX. Woman at desk was rude.”

In a recent posting on his Pop! PR Jots blog, Jeremy Pepper warns of the rise of “Twitteriocy” (Twitter + idiocy) in the corporate world.

“Twitter is the new shiny tool, but that’s not how people should look at it,” says Pepper, who also manages PR and social media for Los Angeles-based Boingo Wireless. “With social media, companies think they need to do everything that’s out there. They think social media is going to be a game-changer. It’s really not.”