It’s widely accepted that the most valuable aspect of Twitter is the ability to share information in real-time. If there is an event or news story that people are interested in following, they can tune in to the Twitter channel to receive the latest updates. Businesses and organizations can leverage Twitter by updating their Twitter feed from a smartphone with on-the-scene information from events they are attending or places their audience has an interest in.

Parade Detours, Sneak Peeks of the Dining Room, and Tradeshow Tweets

The Boston Police Department launched its Virtual Community earlier this year, which includes crime reports, a text-a-tip service, and a Twitter page that is actively managed. The goal of the virtual community is to provide timely information to individuals who take interest in their neighborhoods. Tweets are posted 24 hours a day and range from live updates on stolen bikes, missing persons, road closings, and daily incident summaries. The Twitter feed got its test in March during the annual St Patrick’s Day parade, which always requires a major police presence for the swelling crowd. Followers were able to get live updates on street closings and reopenings, where force was being used, and other helpful information. The BPD is one of the first police departments in the country to launch a social networking campaign of this magnitude and other city departments are sure to follow.

Restaurants take advantage of the opportunities Twitter presents to them by keeping their audience informed on what’s going on during special events or parties, what the nightly special is, or how the current scene is looking. Post 390 is a restaurant that opened in Boston’s Back Bay just a couple of weeks ago, but launched its social media campaign months ago. Nicole Barrick, Post 390’s Director of Marketing began uploading pictures of the bar and restaurant to Facebook and Twitter to give Fans and Followers a sneak peak of the anticipated restaurant’s opening. Before the doors even opened, Post 390’s Twitter account had over 200 followers and almost one thousand Facebook fans. Recent tweets have included what the scene is looking like at different points in the night and drink suggestions if you decide to make an appearance.

Twittering from tradeshows and large conferences is becoming more and more ubiquitous among attendees. At SMX (Search Marketing Expo) events, participants flood the twittersphere with updates from live sessions, panels, and conversations they’re having with industry leaders such as Google’s Matt Cutts and Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer. Savvy users apply “#smx” to their tweets to help SMX become a trending topic and allow Twitter users to search for SMX-related tweets in the search box. For people at the conference, Twitter can help them decide which panel to visit next, and those who are not attending can receive streaming updates on industry advice.

Putting it into Action

Whether it’s a traffic detour, a dessert special, or tweet about an interesting conversation with an industry expert, your audience will value your “breaking tweets”. It proves you are active in your field and offer a valuable source of up to date information. So the next time you see, hear or read something interesting while you’re on the go, share it with your online audience.