BizSugar.com › Online Marketing › 5 Ways to Leverage Microblogging

Big things often come in small packages. Consider microblogging, the emerging short-message medium offered by such sites as Twitter, Pownce, Plurk and FriendFeed.

Some commentators have dismissed the Twitters of the world as places where the self-absorbed waste time writing about the mundane, but many reputable companies don't see it that way.

Early-adopter companies are showing how to bond with customers and prospects on a new level. But clearly, with a medium in which messages are limited to 140 words and can quickly turn judgmental and negative, there are potential downsides.

Here are five ways companies can leverage microblogging to help their businesses: