A couple items we didn't get to in marketing class (this seems to be an ever growing list!). One is a TED video with one of the Twitter founders explaining unique situations where Twitter has proved useful in surprising ways. The other is the most thorough usage guide to Twitter I have seen, from mashable.com. Enjoy.

So how do real businesses use twitter? Here's one example, Best Buy has introduced their "twelpforce" campaign. You can send tweets directly to associates with customer service questions. Best Buy's reputation, particularly for customer service, has suffered in the last decade or so. In the last couple years they have launched a lot of innovative programs to turn the reputation ship around. If they keep at it I think they can get their reputation on the upswing again.