The social networking game-changer Twitter is releasing a new feature called Twitter Local Trends, which is designed to give users a read of what is hot in their local area or state.  Lisa Barone of Small Business Trends has high hopes for the new feature, and believes it has the potential to be very useful for small business owners:

I’d like to see Twitter Local Trends be not only a way to create a feed for people who mention a specific area, but also a way for people to identify where they’re from, especially if Twitter starts breaking down locations to become more specific (which is what I hope happens). Location is what creates relevance in social media for a small business owner. The tighter these services allow SMB owners to narrow down, the better we’ll all be able to build awareness with the people who matter the most to our businesses. You can follow only the people in your area to let them know about events, what your business is up to and maybe to find partners. You can target your message to a much a smaller, much more relevant user base. It also gives business owners greater power to create a local street team when you can get local events to trend the way we see worldwide events trend right now.

Read Twitter Begins Adding Twitter Local Trends here.