The actual numbers? Twitter ended 2009 with just over 75 million registered users worldwide. This seems like a lot until you dig deeper-

It's still too early to predict whether Twitter is a fad destined to fizzle or a trend toward a new form of communication. I'll hold off on making a prediction for now, instead I'll quote my marketing superior, Al Ries-

"Successful programs are not built on fads, they're built on trends. A fad gets a lot of hype, and a trend gets very little."

Right now Twitter is getting a lot of hype.

Why is social media (and Twitter) so popular?

There are two basic reasons why I think social media is so appealing to businesses right now.

Reason number one: Social Proof. Everyone else is doing it, therefore I should be doing it.

If so-and-so jumped off a bridge...

You get the point.

Let's face it: companies are scared to fall behind other businesses so they fall inline and join the fray without asking themselves, "Why am I doing this?"

The second reason social media is so appealing is because there are no barriers to entry. First, there is very little, if any, cost involved. Second, it's simple to sign up for a service like Twitter, and third, it's even easier to use the service.

It is also easy to spend a lot of time using a tool like Twitter all the while justifying it as time spent "marketing".

We tend to gravitate toward that which is easy.

Should you use Twitter to market your business?

You can own all the tools necessary to build a house, but if you don't have a blueprint to guide you, the tools are worthless.

Twitter is just a tool. And nothing more. This is what the Social Media Evangelists forget to tell you.

"Social media is a tool and a tactic--not a strategy. For any tool to be effective, a brand needs an effective strategy. That's why this sudden craze over social media doesn't make sense. A company should set its strategy first, then pick the best tools to execute its strategy." Laura Ries, Ries' Pieces 3/8/10

Unfortunately, most Green Industry companies jump into Twitter without asking themselves, "How does this tool fit into my company's marketing strategy?"

Social media is here to stay--that's not in doubt. As for Twitter, will it be a fad or a trend? I think we will know the answer within the next two years. Until then, follow me on Twitter at @chris_heiler...for now anyway :-)