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If you’re looking for an example of a significant financial return on Twitter, then Dell has long been used as an example – and you can expect it to be quoted even more often after revealing revenues have now risen to $6.5 million globally via Twitter.

Of course that requires almost 1.5 million followers for their main @DellOutlet account, Dell Canada, the $800,000 from @DellnoBrasil and over $150,000 from @DellHomeSalesCA , but it’s still a mightily impressive amount.

Key points for the future from Dell Chief Blogger Lionel Menchaca?

• Streamline our presence in social media networks, create meaningful content for customers and continue to increase our connections with them in those places
• Focus on building a tighter integration between Dell.com, Support.Dell.com, our Dell Community sites with our presence in social networks
• Continue our focus on scaling support of social media initiatives into the Dell business units

There’s a few more bits on the Dell post worth reading.

Later today computer firm Dell is holding a press conference to introduce a new generation of mobility products in San Francisco.

So far, so normal. But what will be interesting is that they will be using Twitter as a mechanism for taking and answering questions from both customers and reporters. (I picked this up via Neville Hobson). As Neville points out, it’s an example of Dell utilising a community they’ve become actively involved in. Just check out @RichardatDell, @TomatDell or search for Dell and you’ll find a number of people.

What’s also good is that they’re not trying to limit the questions to reporters. As an ex-journalist I can see it might be frustrating if your question is buried beneath those of people asking things which might seem banal by comparison – but perhaps there’s a better story and focus in monitoring what is being asked by the consumers, rather than by other reporters?

The Dell Conference takes place at 9am PDT (5pm UK). To ask questions and see responses etc, you’ll need to put them to www.twitter.com/Digital_Nomads. And in a nod to the old-fashioned, Dell will also be blogging about what happens at Direct2Dell.

Hopefully I’ll see you at 5pm, and I’d be interested in hearing what you think of the conference and use of Twitter either here or @badgergravling