The San Francisco based micro-blogging service, Twitter recently announced the purchase of Mixer Labs, a small California-based startup specializing in applications for geo-location tracking.
Social media savvy entrepreneurs already understand the importance of Twitter. The free service was launched three years ago in August of ’06, allowing users to exchange thoughts and links in 140 character snippets. Though it was launched to modest fanfare, Twitter has become the core component to many entrepreneurs online strategies in the three years since.
Many of Twitter’s innovations have come from third party applications which take advantage of the open API of Twitter. Yet recently, Twitter itself has been leading the way in innovation. First with the launch of “lists” in October, a feature which allowed users to aggregate the people they follow with their own set of pre-defined categories.
Now, with the purchase of Mixer Labs, it appears Twitter is working to seamlessly integrate geo-location tracking into their storied service as well.
Soon, Twitter will not only want to know what you’re up to, they’ll want o know where you’re up to it as well.
The potential for entrepreneurs is tremendous.
Knowing the location of your prospects can be instrumental to building a solid relationship. Entrepreneurs who are already using Twitter successfully, understand the service is about community more than an endless, one-sided broadcast.
The more you are able to help someone, the more you can strengthen the relationship. Knowing the location of a prospect can allow business owners to helpfully point them in the right direction, even when there is no profit to be make.
This is exactly the sort of trust building exercise which can turn a lead into a fan.
Twitter is one of the most powerful entrepreneurial tools in the modern tool box, but geo-targeting promises to make it even sharper.
