With social networking on the rise, it is no surprise that companies are investing time, energy, and money to be up-to-date with sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Among the companies making these efforts are Ford Motor Co., PepsiCo Inc., and Southwest Airlines. Social networking has vastly increased the importance of a timely response to crises and consumer communication. It is no longer the case that companies have a couple of hours to respond to incidents and consumer’s concerns, but that they should be responding instantly with tweets and posts.

Companies are creating corporate Twitter profiles to monitor what is being said in cyberspace, a time consuming task to say the least, and listening to consumers’ tweets, posts, and blogs to influence company decisions. Along with launching tracking software, companies are also training their employees on how to use Twitter by teaching them how to represent their company online and interact with consumers. In our constantly technologically advancing society, it is going to be crucial for companies to be connected to the information superhighway.