Twitter is an interesting tool for sharing and research. Some companies are using it to better engage key stakeholders. Great examples include Comcast and Intel who engage customers who mention them. Some hotels utilize Twitter to watch for trips to areas they are located in. I’ve also heard of an automotive repair shop tweeting to a person who mentioned on Twitter their vehicle was having problems. This then got me thinking about how Twitter could be used. Here is a short list of Twitter ideas that could change the way we do things.
1) Whistling for a Taxi. Why couldn’t we simply tweet “#taxi 5th & Main.” No need to raise your hand or whistle but simply tweet and soon you’re whisked away.
2) Auctions. What if instead of raising your hand during a bid you simply tweeted. 2k for the bidder @dereklive. Can I get 3k?
3) Deals. Flying deals online. Some models like Woot have a deal a day and Amazon has several. What about low priced deals offered only on Twitter in real time. First 100 products sold to those who tweet #awesomedeal.
4) Stock Quotes. Real time stock quotes that tell you stock prices as they happen. I know there is software for this but I could see people using this with a Twitter client.
5) Ordering. Why not order Take Out or Coffee on the go. A local coffee shop could set up a hashtag for people to order. A reply to the tweet will give the customer the idea that their beverage will be ready for them. To keep from getting unwarranted beverage orders simply have specific hours tweeted orders will be received or the customer has to announce they want the service.
6) Reservations. Dinner for two, Friday, at six. @favoriterestaurant
7) Radio. Why not have dual listening contests. The tenth caller receives cd and the 1st tweet #themusicrocks wins. Or they could take Twitter questions in place of phone questions. This gives a greater pool of questions for shows limited by time constraints.