Twitter has a new feature useful for brick-and-mortar businesses that allow them to place important information near the top of their Twitter profile. The new Location Spotlight feature, which launched widely today, allows businesses to add information such as store hours and address, a Google map with directions, and a quick-tap option to contact a business by phone or direct message on Twitter.
Location Spotlight makes it easy and quick for customers to decide if there’s enough time to walk three blocks for coffee before a store closes. While it may be quick to search for a business directly through a Maps app, the pandemic has taught us nothing, that information may not be accurate or up-to-date.
Businesses have had to adjust hours on the fly to comply with environmental laws or protect their employees, so social media has become the perfect way to keep track of what’s up with business. Places like Instagram and Twitter made it easy for businesses to connect with their customers quickly, while sources like Google Maps and Yale gave businesses less control.
Some of these features were in the About module that Twitter introduced last year, though it allowed limited businesses to use it. It is now available to businesses worldwide as part of the About module Local Spotlight. Professional Twitter accounts. It’s part of a broader set of business-oriented features Twitter has been working on, including a new shop module that allows certain brands to sell items on Twitter. Shopify store integration and QVC-style live streams.
Twitter also has other services for promoting professional accounts. To monitor performance, there is a planned expansion of Profile Spotlights and the company is going to start conducting training sessions on how to use the platform.
If you’re interested in adding a location spotlight to your business’s Twitter account, follow these steps on your smartphone.
- Go to your profile in the Twitter app and tap Edit Profile.
- At the bottom, tap Edit Professional Profile. (You will only see this if you already have a Professional account.)
- You will see a section called “Profile Spotlight” which you need to tap.
- Tap the Location switch and then enter your business address, hours, website, and contact information. (This will appear publicly on your Twitter account page.)
- Once you’ve entered everything correctly, tap Publish in the top right corner. Customers now have access to all the information you provide, a clear indication of whether or not you’re open, and just one tap to get directions or contact you.
