New or improved social media and web-based services are starting to surface, reflecting a major shift unfolding that underscores how people and companies are choosing to share, listen, watch, respond, interact and engage with other individuals in real-time conversations, as they are happening, with zero latency or delays.  Take Facebook, for example; unable to acquire Twitter’s real-time, massive communication platform, it took a page from Twitter and overhauled its user status section, replacing it with a live newsfeed right down to mimicking Twitter’s 140 characters and status query.  Consumers, startups, large businesses, civil services and, yes, politicians and celebrities alike have tuned into the popular Twitter microblogging service that enables them to telegraph personal or corporate messages, breaking news, emergency broadcasts, service interruptions or promote new blog posts, perspectives, photos, videos, etc. — all in real-time.

The Twitter phenomenon is growing at breakneck speed, reaching nearly 10 million users in February 2009, up more than 700% from a year ago.  Twitter’s runaway growth points to people’s behavior and preference to proactively communicate with others in real-time. FriendFeed most recently rolled out a major new UI and service enhancement, overhauling their static users’ comments to emulate Twitter’s real-time updates.  Clearly, it’s just a matter of time for other sites (ie: MySpace, LinkedIn, Yelp) to recognize this shift and meet users’ preferences for real-time information — not static data. The arrival of the real-time web will impact a host of players in the businesses of information.  Net/net: the real-time web has arrived so strap in your seat belts for an interesting ride that is about to take off.

An interesting trend seems to be taking root that provides a growing opportunity for aspiring tech entrepreneurs to tap. According to a March 2009 PhoCusWright report titled, “Hyperlocal Content Services,” this trend relates to local content proliferating as new tech advances enable improved search, aggregation and distribution.  The concept of hyperlocal is introducing a new model in which content based on proximity, presence and context is delivered to users.

Today MySpace announced a deal with CitySearch where the social network site will introduce MySpace Local, which is essential a social directory for local businesses and venues powered by CitySearch.  The power of the new offering will allow MySpace users to peruse local businesses and venues and see their friends’ reviews.  Additionally, it will provide MySpace with a bonanza of new ad inventory where it can run geotargeted advertising.  It’s no wonder that this deal was a wise one for MySpace to strike given that the local internet-advertising market has accounted for some of the fastest growth in Internet advertising in recent years, as small businesses take their marketing online.  Another new example of a hyperlocal website that today also unveiled a beta version of its service is from client, A Day’s Outing, an online search tool for discovering short-distance day trips and weekend outings.  A Day’s Outing takes the proximity of where someone is starting from to deliver a comprehensive list of outings and events personalized around their preferences.  It currently focuses on the Mid-Atlantic region and will continue to expand regionally. A Day’s Outing represents a growing number of tech high tech startups popping up to introduce new services that deliver highly relevant, personalized, local information to users when they seek it.

Hyperlocal websites as well as smartphones are increasingly helping users access geolocation-based content such as information, advertising, events, and entertainment centered on a user’s locaton and time.  While local information is abundantly available, getting it quickly and easily still leaves a lot to be desired and users seeking a better way.  Expect to see more innovative partnerships such as the MySpace/CitySearch deal as well as many other innovative companies such as A Day’s Outing move to better address users’ need for getting the right information when they want it.