Although sometimes it might seem like absolutely everybody is on Twitter, the majority of companies out there still don't have anything in the way of an official Twitter presence. Though companies like Best Buy and Comcast are leading the charge, others are slow to follow - the most common reason being that the people in charge (read: your boss) often have a hard time understanding why a Twitter presence is becoming more and more important as the nature of human communication is changing.

In light of that, here's five reasons you can put in front of the big boss to help you make your case that your company NEEDS to get onto Twitter ASAP:

5 Reasons Your Company Needs to Be on Twitter

1) Twitter allows you to keep track of what people are saying about your brand - and your competitors' brands - in real time. There's no doubt that other people view Twitter as a good way to get advice about potential purchases, new services, and so on - Hollywood is even blaming Twitter for the lackluster performance of this summer's stinkers, saying that Twitter users, and their outspoken opinions, convinced a significant number of potential moviegoers to skip G.I. Joe and see District 9 instead.

In light of how seriously Twitter users value each other's opinions, why wouldn't you? Getting onto Twitter and using their real-time search capabilities will give you a leg up on competitors who haven't done so yet. Better yet, Twitter users share their opinions in 140 character spurts, meaning that you can get right to the heart of what the like and dislike about your service, without having to wade through a load of fluff.

2) Twitter gives you the ability to show your users that you care about them, and that you take them seriously. When Comcast engages with their customers on Twitter about issues they're having with the Comcast service, much of that communication takes place on a public level - unlike a customer service phone call, which only connects two people, a good Twitter interaction can be viewed by a potential audience of millions, showing your other customers (and, perhaps more importantly, other potential customers) that you value their opinions, that you take them seriously and that you're willing to work with them to make sure that they're satisfied.

Comcast's "Comcast Cares" movement has been widely reported in the mainstream media - meaning that they've basically received a massive amount of free advertising, simply for taking normal customer service activities and making them public. When someone has a good experience with a customer service representative over the telephone, the effect of that phone call is limited. When someone has a positive experience with a customer service representative via Twitter, that potential effect is almost limitless, since the Tweet will live on in perpetuity.

3) Using Twitter shows your customers (and investors, potential customers, etc) that you're "cutting-edge." No one likes to feel like their company is slipping in terms of keeping up abreast of changes to their industry, to the nature of customer service, or, well, anything, really. Customers like to see that the companies they've chosen to do business with are going to be around for a while - and a flexible, can-do attitude about emerging technologies can be a big step in that direction.

Establishing a Twitter identify for your company early also shows your customers that you're not a follower - you're a leader, in whatever industry you're doing business. Better to get one started now, before having a Twitter identity is simply "jumping on the Twitter Train." And believe me, that point isn't far off.

4) Using Twitter shows your customers that you're aware of the way that technology is changing the way that we interact. That may not sound like much, but it can really help to inspire confidence in those 18 - 35 year old's that many companies are so desperate to grab hold of and hold onto. Social networking plays a huge role in many people's lives, and showing your customers that it plays a big part in your communication plan will make them a lot more likely to choose to do business with you, instead of your competitors.

Getting an account on Myspace or Facebook isn't enough - those social networks are already approaching the saturation point; Twitter is the new arena where the battle for social networking dominance is going to be fought. Don't get left behind by thinking you've got your social networking bases covered.

5) If you don't establish a Twitter company for your brand, someone else might just do it for you. Let's face it - the way things stand right now, anybody can be anybody they want on Twitter. Impersonation cases pop up constantly, and it won't be long before corporate and industrial espionage spills over into the Twittersphere - if, indeed, it hasn't already. If you're not on Twitter, you're essentially leaving open the possibility for your competitors, or even just malicious tricksters, to get online and do it for you. The potential to spread misinformation about your brand, products or services is immense, and since information travels so quickly on Twitter, by the time you realize it, it'll already have gone around the block and back.

So there you go. There are dozens of other reasons why each company should be using Twitter, and many of those are specific to the nature of the business or industry in which the particular company works. Think about it long enough and you'll be able to come up with a nice long list to put in front of your boss the next time he tells you to stop "wasting time" on Twitter and get some real work done!