Twitter is the hugest phenomenon of today’s Internet. Connecting to people real-time (even if they are offline), getting instant updates from friends, being up-to-date with most recent news – these are just few advantages of the tool. Another possibility to make the most of Twitter is to use it for shopping.

Ask your friends their opinion on the product you plan to buy and you will get lots of Tweets immediately from people you trust. But Twitter shopping benefits are not limited to only that! Check out the following tips on using Twitter for shopping:

Use Twitter Search

Twitter offers an advanced search platform that you can use to find out what real people say about the retailer you are considering or a product you want to buy. Consider these quick tips on what operators you can use to get properly prepared for your purchase.

Do you want to find negative reviews by the unsatisfied customer? Try to search Twitter for the retailer’s name and include 🙁 to your search – [retailer’s name :(] search will return tweets by displeased people criticizing some news and products.

Example: [Amazon 🙁]

Check what reputable sources say about the store or product you are considering. Try to search for the store name and add from:twitter_username to restrict search results to what the Twitter user was saying.

Example: [Amazon from:mashable] to search for Amazon-related news discussed by Mashable.com

Look for product or retailer mentions near you: use near:city_name advanced operator.

Example: [Nokia near:seattle]

Search for product- or retailer-related questions: add ? to your search query.

Example: [Apple iPhone ?]

Create Your Twitter Group

TwitterGroups is a Twitter application that allows you to create your own group of interest; you can then promote it on Twitter and invite friends. Create a group specifically to exchange shopping lists and reviews with your online friends. You can also join other shopping-related groups; here are a few to consider:

Find Your Retailer on Twitter

Do you know that numerous online retailers are starting to use Twitter for customer service? Try to find the retailer you plan to buy from and try to:

Ask him a public question (see how quick he will be to respond);

See what others ask him – use this advanced search command: [@retailer_name] to find all Tweets addressed to him.

A few huge businesses that are on Twitter already:

You can also try to get the retailers find you! Most businesses monitor Twitter for their names mentions. Try to tweet using the retailer’s brand name and in some time you may hear from him!

So, no matter how much you might be tired of Twitter-related articles and guides, there is no denying the fact that Twitter is an awesome tool with unlimited yet-to-be-explored spheres of usage. So don’t forget to use it before buying anything!