Millions of Internet users have fallen in love with the Twitter "microblogging" service, which lets them swap brief text "tweets." Now companies are embracing the service to engage customers, promote products and monitor what is being said about their brands.

Given the passion and high profiles of "Twitterverse" denizens, the service has evolved into a vital early-warning system for businesses seeking to stave off criticism, and as a way to build better relationships with customers. That is why companies need to know Twitter. Embracing it can help a business thrive; ignoring the service could well hurt it.

For companies unfamiliar with Twitter, this book serves as a field guide. They will get a Twitterverse tour, and learn about the dozens of firms big and small that have harnessed Twitter as a powerful, flexible business tool. The bottom line: Twitter means business. This is an excerpt from the book "Twitter Means Business" by Julio Ojeda-Zapata.

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"Twitter Means Business – How Microblogging Can Help or Hurt Your Company"

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Table of Contents
Chapter One: “Twitter: Why you should care”
Get an overview of the service and learn about its growing relevance to businesses of all sizes. This chapter summarizes the ways firms use Twitter: In stealth mode, as a way to push out information, and – most vital – as a way to start conversations with customers.

Chapter Two: “Five Companies Using Twitter”
Dig into five detailed case studies. The famous companies profiled here – Dell, Comcast, JetBlue, Whole Foods and Zappos – have led the way in corporate Twitter use. They use the service in different ways, which shows the flexibility and versatility of this medium.

Chapter Three: “Still More Firms on Twitter”
Get more than a dozen quick-hit case studies focused on the likes of the H&R Block tax-service firm, the Mars Snacks candy supplier, the Geek Culture comic artists, the music-gear maker Sonos and software maker Evernote. Learn how Twitter is used in the media.

Chapter Four: “Twitter and Public Relations”
Read about public-relations agencies that use Twitter. As the PR industry has embraced Twitter en masse, it is persuading its business clients to give it a look. Firms such as the Graco baby-product maker use Twitter, thanks to advice from public-relations advisers.

Chapter Five: "The Twitter Experts Weigh In”
Absorb the wisdom of seasoned Twitter users. The author hosted a Twitter-based round table among social-media veterans in the Twin Cities and elsewhere. This chapter has a full transcript of the tweets from the event, which explores how Twitter means business.

Chapter Six: “Twitter Tips, Tricks and Tools”
Get Twitter basics, then dig deeper. This chapter shows you how to bend the service to your will. Tour the vast ecosystem of services and software meant to augment Twitter. Learn about Twitter competitors like Friendfeed, and how to juggle multiple services.

Visit Twitter Means Business Website

Hello. I'm Julio Ojeda-Zapata.

If you're curious about Twitter, and how this popular social-networking service can be harnessed as a business tool, you've come to the right place.

Happy About Books of Cupertino, Calif., recently released my book, "Twitter Means Business: How Microblogging Can Help or Hurt Your Company."

As a leading technology journalist, I provide a unique blend of professional reportage and social-media insight. My groundbreaking book is based on months of research into Twitter best practices in the business world, as well as my own extensive Twitter experience.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julio Ojeda-Zapata has been on the front lines of the Internet and computer revolutions as a technology reporter, editor and syndicated columnist for more than a decade.

He’s an Internet addict with a bulging RSS newsreader and thousands of tweets (he is @jojeda). He works at the St. Paul Pioneer Press newspaper, part of MediaNews Group. He lives in St. Paul, Minn., with his wife, son and their guinea pig.

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