Some days ago Twitter started to roll out the option to add location information to a tweet. Although it might sound like a minor change, this change can be very disruptive, both in user experience as in monetization of Twitter.Twitter becomes a more valuable and personalized medium since it is no longer just about trusted people (people in your network), trusted topics, but also about people who are in the same location.
By making things available locally, you can add a personalized experience for the users. For example if I hear a police car racing in the street behind my home, or see some smoke in the air two blocks away, the newspaper won't tell what is happening there at that very moment. It is far too local for them to report, not even considering the fact that there are too little people interested in it and often they are not able to report about those things in real time. By offering location information to your tweet you can create great meta data about certain locations and venues. It is also easier to connect to other people who are on the same location / event. When you are at an event, you are probably interested in what other visitors have to say about the event, not what non-visitors have to say about it.
Foursquare is already covering a big part of the niche Twitter might want to have with localization. Foursquare offers you and your friends new ways of exploring your city. The application gives you the option to share your location and to earn points and unlock badges for experiencing new things. This all might look like a silly game, however it is a great impulse for bars, restaurants and clubs. Some of these companies are even offering free beer for the persons who check-in the most at their location.
What will you get with this feature inTwitter, will it add any
value to you, will it change your business? Yes it will, it will create
new niches with new needs which are in search for somebody who can
fulfill those needs. The mass market just died a little bit more.
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Rick Mans is a social media evangelist within Capgemini. You can follow and connect with him via Twitter or Delicious
