What Twitter’s Local Trends Means For Your Business

Twitter’s local trends just went live in seven countries and 15 US cities and although it’s in the baby stage, this can very helpful for your business.  Prior to local trending topics rolling out, only the big companies (Starbucks, Apple, Dell, Sprint, etc.) would become a trending topic on Twitter.  Local businesses didn’t have a shot of becoming a trending topic because their customers and fans only accounted for a small percentage of the Twittersphere.

Now, with local trends, users can set their local area and the most talked about topics will be seen on local users Twitter homepage.  However, this can be a gift and a curse for the following reasons:

1. Increased Exposure (GIFT)

Although your business may be local and you have a decent customer base, any of the Twitter users that select the closet major city in which you are located, will see your businesses name if it becomes a local trend.  People on twitter are interested in seeing what the trending topic is about and how is tweeting about it.  This will lead to more people going to your company’s Twitter profile and clicking on the link to your website to find out more information about your business and maybe even picking up the phone to give you a call.

2. Great source of customer feedback (GIFT)

Becoming a local trend is a quick and easy way to see what your customers are saying about you and gives you the chance to respond and correct any wrong. Being able to do some quick damage control can turn an upset customer into a loyal one.  It will take some constant monitoring, but it’ll be worth it in the long run.

3. Upset customer (CURSE)

Let’s be honest, we all have them.  We can’t make every single customer happy all the time and we have to accept that.  But, Twitter gives them a medium to voice their concerns to all of their followers.  One bad tweet can get retweeted thousands of times and turn into a headache.  You have to focus on correcting the wrong, and people will be watching how you respond.

4. Small problems are exaggerated (CURSE)

If you ran out of an item that was on sale, no big deal right?  WRONG!  Sale items have the ability to drive traffic into a store and even if you run out, people may purchase something they had no intention on buying.  But one tweet letting everyone know you are out of the sale item may deter people from stopping in.  Again this goes back to #3 and the power of retweeting.  The problem may be minor, but becoming a local trend can turn it into a unnecessary fiasco.