Brands and Twitter

Mashable has put together a list of the 40 best brands on Twitter. There's a lot of ongoing conversation about whether Twitter is a valuable tool for businesses and what its potential applications are, so these examples may provide good food for thought. I'm not yet convinced Twitter would work for most brands - it feels like the Twittersphere is too small to make the time investment worthwhile. What do you think?

In a related Twitter story, the Brooklyn Museum has figured out a way to monetize its social networking efforts without going the expected route of selling ad space. For $20, people interested in the museum can join 1stfans to be granted access to the private Twitter feed and Facebook/Flickr groups, almost like paying a cover charge to get into a club. Assuming the combination of sites provides unique, won't-find-anywhere-else information, sneak peeks, or glimpses behind the scenes to keep audiences tuning in for more, this idea could really work for museums and the like. But, as one 1st fan points out, setting expectations could be a vital part of success.

(via i make experiences and - I've just noticed - also via "The Buzz", proving once again those Click Here folks are on top of everything)