San Carlos Businesses on Twitter

August 25, 2010

A Great Business Tool…

Twitter is an amazing online tool for posting 140-character, real-time updates on….well, just about anything.  The early users of Twitter used the tool to update people on their whereabouts, like “I'm eating dinner at Town” or “Just dropped the kids off at school.”   OK, I guess there was some importance to informing the world on the minutiae of their day.   Since those early days of Twitter, the basics of the technology have remained largely unchanged, but how the tool is being used couldn't be any different.

All of the major news networks now use Twitter as an effective way to post breaking news and draw traffic back to their websites.   “The Miracle on the Hudson” plane crash was first broken and covered on Twitter by witnesses and survivors, not by cable news networks like CNN.  And now, smart business owners are finding interesting ways to promote their company and their brand image on this medium.

San Carlos Businesses That Use Twitter.

There are a handful of San Carlos business owners who have embraced the real-time capabilities of Twitter to uniquely and effectively promote their businesses.    The technology is a perfect match for businesses whose products or services may change on a daily or hourly basis.  Here are three examples of San Carlos business owners who have truly elevated their brand image and customer awareness in this way:

Zest Bakery:  Our newest bakery in town also happens to be one of the few gluten-free bakeries on the Peninsula.  They post real-time updates about what specials they have on a particular day, and what samples are sitting warm and toasty on their counter.   Last week, they posted a picture of a lemon cake glazed with chocolate icing.  That's just not playing fair 😉

Jett Cakes:  Food trucks have been around for decades..but specialty cupcakes on the road?   That's a very unique business idea that totally relies on a) great cupcakes, obviously… and b) customers knowing where you're going to be and when every day.  Marianne does a great job of using Twitter to take care of the latter, posting tweets about what her special baked treats are for that day, and where she will be selling them.

The Reading Bug:  Books – talk about an ever-changing industry!  The key for small, specialty bookstores to compete with the big, online gorillas is to get people into their stores.  The Reading Bug shines in this area by hosting reading sessions for the kids, and by constantly getting new releases into their inventory — all things that you can find out about on their Twitter page.

Wait…There's More.

These three aren't the only San Carlos businesses that use Twitter.   Here's what I'm sure is just a partial list of businesses who are putting their business online in a cool fashion.  Just click on the name to go right to their Twitter feed.

Did I miss anyone?  Of course I did!  If you know of a San Carlos business that isn't mentioned above and is using Twitter in a cool and unique fashion, let us know by leaving a comment below.   I'll add it to the Twitter List that I have already started to compile:  San Carlos Businesses on Twitter.  Feel free to follow this list on your own Twitter account!

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3 Comments

  1. Melanie Yunk on August 26, 2010 at 2:18 am

    Hi Chuck,

    We use Twitter to let people know what’s up with Big Acres Gourmet Foods – recipes, events, coupons, articles about healthy meals and a joke or quote now and then.

    Twitter is a great way for us to connect with consumers, the press, bloggers, wholesale customers and vendors too. Since we started tweeting (2 years ago this month), we’ve increased traffic to our website by about 10%, acquired new wholesale customers (including one who had not ordered in years, but saw us on Twitter and reconnected), received numerous blog reviews and editorial.

    We love Twitter!.

    You can follow us at:

    http://www.twitter.com/melanieyunk
    http://www.twitter.com/bigacresgourmet

    Melanie Yunk
    Melanie’s Fine Foods, Inc.
    Big Acres Gourmet Foods



  2. Michael on August 26, 2010 at 3:49 am

    Mel, love the smoker bags too (available at Bianchini’s)! Thise are still yours, right?



  3. Melanie Yunk on August 26, 2010 at 5:43 am

    Hello Michael,

    Yes, our smoker bags are sold at Bianchini’s market! They’re hanging at the end of the meat counter! Aren’t they fun! Lots of recipes on our website too.

    Melanie



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