Twitter is launching a “Location Spotlight” tool, which debuted broadly in August this year. The feature allows businesses with a physical location to prominently position important information on their Twitter profiles. Businesses can add details like store hours and addresses, a Google Map with directions, and a single touch option to contact a company through phone or Twitter direct message.
The new features are a part of Twitter’s concerted effort to win over more retailers.
- The platform’s new Shop module enables select retailers to sell products directly on Twitter.
- Shopify recently became the first commerce platform to partner with Twitter.
- “Product Drops,” a new feature which allows users to be reminded when a drop they’ve expressed interest in goes live, was launched recently as well.
Why it matters: During the pandemic, social media evolved as the default method for customers to check on the condition of businesses, many of which stopped operating overnight or had to change their hours due to local regulations or understaffing.
Will it work? Technically, this move adds utility to Twitter. But it’s adding utility that Facebook Business Pages have had for years now.
Adding features that an embattled competitor implemented years ago isn’t enough to get many advertisers excited—but for businesses that already engage on Twitter, the upgrades should be welcome.