The tiny social networking giant is not for everyone, but for media companies and social-media-savvy brands Twitter has a real use.

In Mark Simon's Ad Age article, The 10 Most Asinine Trends and Why You Should Avoid Them, Twitter and its Microblogging Ilk rolled in at #9. Mark writes, stridently.

"What could be more annoying and less useful than a site where thousands of people are given 140 characters to shout out about what they’re doing at every moment of the day?

The amazing thing is that enough people out there think this mindless stream of ephemera (‘I’m eating a tangerine,’ ‘I’m waiting for a plane,’ ‘I want a Big Mac’) is interesting enough to serve as the basis for a viable advertising platform."

Mark’s article was blasted through Twitter itself, via David Armano.

Is Twitter a next-generation instant messaging tool?

The Twitterati is blasting out their defensive at the same time digging the publicity that has cast them as the Bad News Bears of social media. Simon didn’t give Twitter a fair shake, in their view.

Jeremiah Owyang wrote on Marketing Profs. Twitter is a tool through which subscribers can further reach their audiences in real-time. Users can broadcast their messages, hear and express thought leadership, among other things connect to the influencers both on their desktop and through their mobile units.

Like much of social media… it’s another ear to the ground, another touchpoint, another "opportunity to build relationships," according to Jeremiah.

Is it for everyone? Heck, no. What is? What’s more, it’s a new and emerging platform that’s only now finding its footing: there’s a lot of crap you have to wade through, and sometimes it's unreliable. But that said, Twitter has a real use for media companies and social-media-savvy brands.

Here are 7:

1. Extend Reach

Twitter is extending the reach for those companies and individuals that already have in place blogging strategy. And want to deepenor further ties. Andy Carvin’s PBS blog on education and technology. Carnival Cruise Lines. And The Science News Blog’s weather tracking updates are Good examples.

2. Announce Deals

Deals on Dells and Blue light specials at Amazon are Good examples for retailers announcing their sales and deals.

3. Send Frequent Updates

The NY Times, CNN, BBC, and Adrants are examples of increasing the ability for frequent updates to websites, news, or blogs.

4. Build Consensus

Barack Obama or John Edwards are good examples of Building Consensus or a community of supporters..

5. Build Buzz

Scott Monty and CC Chapman used Twitter to introduce a new blog. Great examples of building buzz.

6. Break News

Jeremiah at the Web 2.0 Expo is an example of updating breaking news at conferences or events. Forrester seems poised to use it to update happenings at its upcoming Consumer Forum.

7. Branding

Updating your network to shape your own personal branding? Oh boy.. there are zillions of great examples. Pick a profile on Twitter. You’ll see what we mean. You can get inspiration from Inspiredology. There’s lots more background and ideas. Let us know your thoughts.