Do you have examples of small businesses using Twitter in creative and successful ways?

Do we have examples of Twitter being used for anything beyond mindless banter?

No, but I hate all the businesses who follow me first. If I don’t follow you – don’t follow me. [unless you are a real person with real person updates.]

Don’t use my feed for analytics.

“Do we have examples of Twitter being used for anything beyond mindless banter?”

Yes we do:
link

Twittering is just marketing. Think of it as Disney Land. People go there for vacation, or just to have fun. But, if they did not find an angle to bring you there and it did not bring in profit. There would be no need for a Disney Land.
Since twittering is an internet practice. As much as the Internet is the “information super highway”. We have found that, very quickly, this highway has attracted many road side hot-dog stands. We have to question is it self supporting on its own merits, biased on “information,” or is it nothing more then a Disney Land? A big marketing tool to VERY covertly, at time, separate you from you money.
Even the highways we drive on leads us to the mall.