While large national businesses obtain thousands and thousands of followers, a small  business can still use Twitter to increase revenue. Customers are turning to Twitter to attempt to communicate with businesses. A Twitter account, as well as a blog, can help a company remain transparent and create better relationships with consumers.

Here are a few ideas on how a business can use Twitter effectively:

• Local Durham, NC wine bar Six Plates uses Twitter to announce wine and dinner specials. I have followed them since they started the account in 08 (they even hosted a small “Tweet up”) and seen the account grow from just a handful of followers to nearly 915. Think about how much revenue can be generated if just 1% of those followers see a Twitter message announcing a special for that night and decide to go in and grab a meal. That is 2 or 3 extra tables in a night and adds up to a decent portion of revenue in a month.

• Personally, I have grown tired of businesses sending me a bland direct message thanking me for following the Twitter feed. Give a customer a real thank you in the form of a coupon or discount. eCommerce sites can easily send a unique promo code instead of a bland message. A local business can send a message for a discount when the message is shown at the store or restaurant. Many Twitterers use the service on the go and showing the message right on the mobile device is easy. Non-mobile users can simply print the screen or use a “verbal” coupon to take advantage of the offer.

• Take customer service issues to email. If a customer has an issue, do not try to resolve it using 140 characters. Send a personal email address to the customer and have them fully explain their issue.

• I use the search functionality in Tweetie to monitor brand terms. This way, I can see what people are saying about my company and respond quickly (to both good and bad messages).

Twitter can be an effective tool to help a business of any size communicate with customers and generate revenue.