When it comes to advertising and marketing, most companies only consider the traditional methods. They may look into how much it costs to run a full-page ad in the local newspaper. They may inquire about running a 30-second spot on television or radio. If they’re a little more savvy, they may look into how much it costs to run an online advertising campaign, either through Google AdSense or some sort of affiliate marketing network.

One largely untapped area for a lot of businesses is Twitter. Most people think of Twitter as a personal micro-blogging platform, but it can also serve as a valuable tool for marketing your business. There are two main strategies you can take when it comes to a corporate Twitter account and corporate tweeting.

First, you can take the approach of BlueFur and use Twitter as if it were largely a personal account. Some of the tweets on that account do not have any to do specifically with web hosting, so customers are able to connect to the company on a more personal level. They know that a real person is behind that account. Potential customers also know that they can turn to the Twitter account for nearly instant communication.

Alternatively, you can take the approach of The Instinct. Run by the marketing/PR firm that was hired by Samsung to promote the Samsung Instinct cell phone in Canada, this Twitter account acts as if it were the device itself. There is still a real live person (or several people) doing the tweeting, but all the responses are done from the perspective of the mobile phone. This may prove to be a somewhat surreal experience, but it is certainly creative.

Whether you take the first or second approach, it may be in your best interest to invest a little time in a corporate Twitter account. It’s free to sign up, so the only thing that tweeting will cost you in some time. If that time translates into new and retained customers, then it’s worth it.