A leading trend in 2010 is emerging – the localization of social media. Twitter Local Trends is a most recent addition. I love 
the possibilities that Twitter Local Trends presents by way of helping businesses monitor local conversations in real-time. Talk about marketplace research/data on steroids! Businesses armed with current data about what matters to their target market can create special offers and launch mini-campaigns – within the structure of their social media marketing plans – based on the trends with “legs” that are most relevant to their business brand and target audience. I purposefully mention social media marketing plans because it is important for businesses to have a written “plan of UpwardAction” for using social media and measuring its impact on business.
Twitter Local Trends is now being rolled out to Twitter users. If you do not have it yet, it is on the way. As this resource is new, the cities covered are limited. You can check my screen-shot to see what cities are included as of this morning. When Twitter Local Trends is rolled out to you, start paying attention to trending conversations in your city and also those cities for 
which you would like to build a presence. Use the data collected to shape conversations with your clients and customer.
My “Twitter” advice for businesses interested in increasing local web and brick & mortal traffic: (i) increase your local Twitter following using tools like Twellowhood and NearbyTweets; then, (ii) monitor conversations and trends using tools like Twitter Local Trends and Happn.in.
I look forward to the continued development of Twitter Local Trends and new social media tools that continuously make social media a very relevant and powerful resource for large and small businesses alike. It is also fun to watch Twitter introduce new tools to keep people on its site. Hootsuite and Tweetdeck still reign supreme with me; however, with the addition of tools like Twitter Lists and now Local Trends, I'm visiting the Twitter website more often than before.
Inquiring minds want to know: How will you use social media to increase your local web or foot traffic? Leave your response in the comment section. I want to hear from you!
Expect the Best!
Coach TC
Tasha Cooper Coleman, Esq. (Coach TC)
Speaker, Author, Executive Coach
Personal Branding & Digital Marketing Strategist for Lawyers, Law Firms and Professional Service Providers
WeCare[@]UpwardAction.com
PS – Need help developing a compelling personal brand? We can help! Brainstorm with Coach TC to get yourself moving in the right direction!
