Twitter is maturing as a marketing tool. Today, savvy business owners know they can do more then just blast micro marketing messages across the platform. Many traditional marketing strategies can be applied to this medium with only minor adjustments.  For example, consider the contest or giveaway. A long standing way to build awareness of a brand, new product or service, contests can be easily run through twitter.  And for small business owners with a limited budget, this is a wonderfully inexpensive way to build awareness.

But before you dive in, Zach Cole of Edelman Digital has a few tips on how to insure the results you hope for.  He suggests that you :

1.    Check twitter’s rules and guidelines.
2.    Define the rules of your contest clearly.  Remember you are promoting this in increments of 140 characters, if you make it complex, no one will play.
3.    Plan to measure the results.  Put the tools in place before you start the campaign.
4.    Announce the winners and promote them.
5.    Use the data you have collected in future campaigns.  The contest is not the end in itself.  Use what you learn to connect with prospects, then find ways to keep them engaged.

Have you run twitter contests?  We would love to hear about your success.