Popular micro-blogging tool used for business networking, building online presence, providing customer service and research and development

Toledo-area social media expert Allen Mireles will speak to the Association for Women In Communications about the benefits of using the popular micro-blogging service, Twitter, for business. "Even though Twitter has gotten a lot of major media attention recently, the focus has been more on its use by celebrities and less on its value as a business tool," said marketing/PR strategist, Allen Mireles. "We have heard about the large numbers of people flocking to sign up for Twitter and leaving," she said. "We hear less about the people who quietly stay and learn to use the tool or those who sign up and leave but come back later and find it really useful."

Twitter, also described as a "micro-sharing" tool, allows its users to send and read text messages of up to 140 characters. Twitter users sign up to "follow" other users and receive their updates. The text messages are referred to as "Tweets". "What many people don't realize is that Twitter is an amazingly powerful tool," said Mireles. "Twitter has wide ranging application as a business tool. Companies and organizations are using Twitter as a search engine, for networking, hiring, to provide excellent customer service, to build relationships, as a way to promote products, for fundraising and to drive traffic to websites and blogs."

Mireles, one of the Toledo area's top Twitter users, has been using Twitter for business since December of 2007. She will provide an overview of the micro-blogging service and talk about some of the many applications developed to make Twitter use easy and effective for building business. Participants are encouraged to bring questions for the Q & A portion of the presentation.

The Association for Women in Communications' May luncheon is scheduled for Thursday, May 14th from 11:30 AM – 1 PM at The Waterford in Perrysburg's Levis Commons. RSVP today to Melanie Allen at 419-343-3686.

About Allen Mireles

Allen Mireles is the principal of Allen Mireles Marketing PR, a full service social media marketing/ public relations consultancy specializing in helping companies and organizations use social media and public relations to connect, share and grow. An experienced public speaker and trainer, Allen Mireles offers coaching programs and seminars for businesses interested in understanding social media quickly. She will help you determine which social media tools make sense for your business and how they can be integrated into your existing marketing and public relations to help you build business—and increase market share. For more information visit  or follow Allen on Twitter and Tweet your questions.

About The Association for Women in Communications

The Association for Women in Communications (AWC) is one of the nation's largest communications organizations with 7,500 members active in all fields of communications; including journalism, public relations, corporate communications, advertising, graphics, publishing, TV/radio/film and technical writing.

The organization recognizes distinguished professional achievements, promotes high professional standards through the communications industry and protects First Amendment rights and responsibilities of communicators.

Members of AWC are primarily mid-to senior-level professionals who work full-time. Nearly 40 percent have 10-20 years experience. Just over 20 percent have worked in communications for more than 20 years. For more information visit AWC's website.

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