Twitter to track location of Tweets
- Added:
- Aug 24, 2009
Twitter is planning to add a location feature to its microblogging platform, opening up new opportunities for marketers in the process.
Commenting on his blog, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone said: "A new API will allow developers to add latitude and longitude to any tweet."
The opt-in tool will let users switch to the tweets from near their location, even if they do not follow them.
Stone said the service would also be of use to Twitterers at events "like a concert or even something more dramatic like an earthquake."
"There will likely be many use cases we haven't even thought of yet which is part of what makes this so exciting," Stone wrote.
The move will be particularly useful to mobile phone users, and could open up new channels for marketers to reach consumers, such as informing users of events in their immediate proximity or offering them limited-time discounts from nearby retailers.
According to Twitter, location data will not be stored "for an extended period of time."
Developers will be the first to be offered the location feature, with hopes that they will create applications making interesting use of it. Over time, it will be offered to all users.
