Yes, Twitter can be used to send out your random thoughts, live tweet your favorite reality TV show, or spout your political beliefs into the wide expanse of the Internet. It's not all about that though. Nowadays, business owners are using Twitter to connect with their customers on a more direct level, and to keep up to date with current trends in their industry.

According to Twitter, they have more than 306 million active monthly users, with 80 percent of those users viewing Twitter on mobile. That's a lot of potential customers you've yet to reach!

So, if you're looking to get connected with customers on this popular social media platform, check out these tips on how to take advantage of Twitter for your business!

Connect With Customers

Like all social media platforms, Twitter lets you connect directly with your customers. When someone follows you on Twitter -- much like when someone "likes" your page on Facebook -- they can see everything you tweet, allowing them to constantly stay up to date with what you're doing.

Quick Customer Service

Being able to be constantly connected with your customers gives you a great opportunity to also solve customers' questions and complaints quickly. When someone tweets at you on Twitter, a notification pops up on your phone or desktop. You have an immediate opportunity to answer their questions, and it's much faster than a phone call or email response.

Use Hashtags To Keep Up With Trends

A hashtag on Twitter is any keyword that follows this symbol, #. You might know it as a number or pound sign. When someone clicks on the word that is tagged using a hashtag, they can see other tweets that use that keyword. This lets you see what people are saying about certain topics, and helps you and your business keep up with current trends!

Promote Your Content

Unlike Facebook, Twitter has very few rules for preventing your from promoting your products. That means free advertising! There are still guidelines, however, for what you can and can't promote. You can also pay to have advertisements show up on Twitter. Read the full guidelines here.

Promotions and Contests

Twitter is a great place to promote special contests that are only available if people follow you. Most businesses use Retweets, Favorites, and Follows for choosing winners. Retweets are when someone tweets your tweet, and it's another good way to promote your business on Twitter. When someone Retweets you, it's free advertisement for your business!

Show Off Your Personality

The most important thing to remember with Twitter, and any social media platform for that matter, is to have fun! These tools aren't solely meant for business 24/7; your followers love to see that you have a personality as well. Show a little humor every once in awhile on your Twitter account, and you're sure to gain more followers, and retain them!