Twitter has a new helpful Location Spotlight feature for brick-and-mortar businesses that can put critical facts near the top of their Twitter profiles.
The new Location Spotlight feature, projecting widely today, lets companies add information such as store hours and address, a Google Map with tips, and a brief tap alternative to contact a business via phone or Twitter direct messaging.
Location Spotlight could make it more comfortable and quicker for customers to decide if there’s enough time to walk three blocks for coffee before a shop closes. However, while it may be faster to search a business directly on a map app if the pandemic has taught us anything, the information may not be correct or up to date.
Businesses had to adjust hours instantly to comply with local laws or protect their workers, so social media became the de facto way to know a business’s status. In addition, places like Instagram and Twitter provided ease where businesses could quickly connect with their customers, whereas sources like Google Maps and Yelp would give enterprises less control.
These features already existed in the About Module that Twitter introduced last year, which was only available to a limited selection of professional accounts. Now called Location Spotlight, it’s known worldwide for businesses with professional Twitter accounts.
It’s all part of a broader business-centric feature set Twitter has been working on, including its new Shop Module. It lets some brands sell items within Twitter, Revue newsletter subscriptions, Shopify store integration, and QVC-style live streams.
The new features let local businesses display their address, hours, and more information at the top of their Twitter profile.
What is Location Spotlight?
Businesses that use this feature can display various locations and contact information at the top of their Twitter profile. In addition, Twitter is also integrating Google Maps to show a business location map, which users can click on to get directions.
You can then add any or all of the following:
- Website URL.
- Address (your street address, city, state, and ZIP code)
- Hours
- Phone
- Display map (toggle)
While you’re there, you can also select an option that lets people browse your store or subscribe to your newsletter. These options are not new – they have been available with Professional Accounts since last year.
Now available. Anyone with a professional account can add the Location Spotlight starting today, Twitter said.
They were previously known as About Module. Location Spotlight was initially known as the About Module. Twitter invited only a few businesses to test the About Module starting in April 2021.
Local businesses that maintain a Twitter presence now have an excellent reason to set up a Professional Account. The new Profile Spotlight should reduce friction for potential customers by putting your location details at the top of your Twitter profile page. That means you can get additional clicks to your website or actual foot traffic to your location, which could translate to sales and revenue.
Twitter also has other services in the works to expand professional accounts. There’s an upcoming “Professional Home” feature to track performance, a planned expansion of profile spotlights, and the company is going to start running training sessions on how to use its platform.
If you’re interested in adding Location Spotlight to your business Twitter account, follow these steps on your smartphone:
- Go to your Profile in the Twitter app, and tap on Edit profile.
- On the bottom, tap Edit professional profile.
- You’ll see a section called “Profile Spotlight,” which you’ll need to tap.
- Tap on the Location toggle switch, then enter your business address, hours, website, and contact information.
Once you have everything entered accurately, tap Publish in the upper-right corner. Customers now have entry to all the information you provided, clearly indicating if you’re open or not, and are one tap away from getting directions or contacting you.