There seems to be little concert evidence that social media has had a direct influence on sales of products. Dell has made millions via their Twitter site and BlendTec’s blender sales went through the roof after their YouTube video campaign, but most are not as lucky. There is however tons of evidence on improving customer service, with Comcast being the shining example in the Twittersphere.

An eMarketer article recently included a great chart about what marketing tactics work on Twitter. The chart includes both business-to-business and business-to-consumer, and you’ll see below that not everyone has the same success that Dell has had.

It appears that the top two tactics for b-to-c marketing are monitoring Twitter for PR problems and contacting users posting negative tweets. This seems to make sense to from a monitoring stance, seeing some many companies negatively affected by something posted on a social media channel last year (think Domino’s), and you have the potential to turn your enemies into friends by responding to their grips.

The b-to-b sector is in agreement on monitoring, but has also had success with creating an in-person event for Twitter followers. In thinking of an example of this, I’m stumped. Does anyone know of a go example of a successful b-to-b tweetup?

A special thanks to Tara Lynn for her awesome coverage of the event!

Thanks to our TV media sponsor for the event, WCIV ABC News 4. Special thanks to Dean Stevens for his help emceeing the event!

Want to see the Nicholas Sparks (author of The Notebook) film adaptation of Dear John before anyone else? Want to see Channing Tatum in person? Want to attend a Hollywood-inspired party in Charleston? You can do all of these at the Dear John Charleston premiere on Sunday, January 24. Proceeds from this exclusive event will benefit Carolina Autism, whose client, Braeden Reed, has a role in the movie.

Charleston premiere of Screen Gems’ Dear John, a film based on the Nicolas Sparks novel. Dear John was filmed around Charleston, and a local child actor has a significant role in the movie. The stars, film crew and other celebrities will be in attendance, and the Official After Party will feature music by DJ Moo Moo, specialty cocktail stations and innovative hors d’oeuvres and desserts by Cru Catering. Tickets are $250 (portion is tax deductible) and include both the screening and after party. Seating is limited to the first 400 guests, and more information and tickets can be purchased at www.dearjohncharlestonpremiere.com. Dress for the evening is cocktail attire.

The premiere is a fundraiser for Carolina Autism, which provides services to Dear John actor, Braeden Reed, 7. Autism now affects 1 in 91 children in the U.S., and Carolina Autism provides early intervention (Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy) to children with autism and manages group homes for adults with autism.

Dear John is a romantic drama about a soldier who falls in love with a conservative college student. The movie tells the story of John Tyree (Channing Tatum), a young soldier home on leave, and Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried), the idealistic college student he falls in love with during her spring vacation. Over the next seven tumultuous years, the couple is separated by John’s increasingly dangerous deployments. While meeting only sporadically, they stay in touch by sending a continuous stream of love letters overseas—correspondence that eventually triggers fateful consequences. Dear John will open in theaters nationwide on February 5.