With more than 20 million visitors a month, Twitter may represent the largest free lead source in the history of mankind. Here are four proven models companies have used to help business using Twitter:

1. Engage buyers on a regular basis: Zappos, which has built an entire network of loyal buyers via Twitter, regularly solicits feedback from customers via tweets. Posting a survey question on Twitter is free, easy and effortless. It also encourages buyers to publicly respond to each other’s feedback.
2. Give buyers an incentive to constantly monitor your feed: Macy’s recently held a Valentine’s Day contest called “sweetest tweets.” Customers entered by posting love notes of 140 characters or less via Macy’s Twitter feed. The winners received diamond pendants or a diamond ring. But the real winner was Macy’s, which generated thousands of new leads while giving customers an incentive to revisit its Twitter feed daily.
3. Get upper management involved: Companies that use Twitter to boost rapport with buyers don’t use the site simply as free ad space. Instead, they boost loyalty by having well-known members of upper management engage buyers on a personal level.
4. Monitor your company’s mentions: Twitter has search tools that alert you whenever your company’s name is mentioned in a tweet. A lot of companies use those tools to stay on top of what buyers are saying. It also gives them an opportunity to boost rapport by personally responding to customers’ comments and concerns.

Tell us in the Comments Box below how your company (or another you know of) is using Twitter.

Tags: Facebook, Macy's, online, social networking, Twitter, Web sales, Zappos