Best of: Twitter

For my 100th blog post, I'm taking a look back at one of my best entries during the past 14 months. Today, I'd like to take a review a post I wrote about Twitter, which originally appeared on March 23, 2010.

In this post, I referred to a Twitter list I created recording all of the brands I knew of at the time – 44 in all. Today, that list has grown to 170 and continues to expand. The column on the right shows the food and beverage CPG brands on this list. Take a look, and be sure to leave a message if there are any additional brands I need to add to my Twitter inventory.

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Are you on Twitter? The latest statistics show that 75 million people possess a Twitter account, but only an estimated 10 to 15 million people are active users.

Twitter is so much more than answering the question "what's happening" in 140 characters or less. The international social media site is a place to learn about news, events, and trends, connect with like-minded individuals, and build your network.

I joined Twitter in February 2009. It took me long time to catch on to what I should be doing and how. Now, however, I find Twitter to be a valuable resource; I learn something new every day.

To aid in my understanding of both social media and how CPG works, I follow quite a few companies, brands, and products on Twitter. I created a list of these accounts, which you can find on my Twitter page. If you have a Twitter account, you can subscribe to my list and follow all 44 (and growing!) members or select specific individuals. You'll find accounts for companies like PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, and Campbell Soup Company, as well as products like Mrs. Butterworths and Philadelphia Cream Cheese. For an added bonus, check out Chex Mix, which tweets as the quirky product.

The accounts send tweets that provide updates, ask for feedback, and list contests and events to engage consumers. Why is this important? A recent study found that consumers who interact with companies via social media are more likely to buy and recommend a product based on this connection. Opportunities are abundant for those companies that are active on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media channels.

If you are not on Twitter, I encourage you to join – you have nothing to lose! If you have an account, but have not sent a tweet in a while, log on and reconnect. The Twitterverse would like to know what's happening.

Is there a company, brand, or product that I should add to my list? Leave a comment and let me know.