Twitter Transforms Into Sites That Aggregate Around Vertical Tweets

(MoneyWatch)  It's time to face facts that Twitter is, always has been, and always will be about vertical categories. Even as most of us who are on Twitter self-aggregate by choosing who we want to follow at twitter.com, an increasing number of ad-supported sites are popping up that aggregate tweets around specific verticals. Here's the activity in this area that I've witnessed just in the last few weeks:

• Federated Media launches ExecTweets, which allows you to "find and follow top business execs."
• Adweek's AdFreak blog (founded by yours truly), launches TweetFreak "following the marketing, media and agency world on Twitter."
• SportsFanLive starts AthleteTweets.com, which, c'mon ... you know the answer ... aggregates tweets by athletes!

There are probably dozens of other Twitter verticals out there that I don't know about, partly because it's so easy to set one up that it's a no-brainer of an idea, particularly if you can just attach your new tweet site to a media network and bring in another source of traffic -- and ad dollars. Embedding tweets can be done with a widget -- and what happens from there is up to the creativity of those doing the creating. ExecTweets, for instance, breaks down tweets into most popular, best, and so forth. At TweetFreak (above), there's a tweetroll of ad agencies who have Twitter accounts, and a weekly recommendation of "five to follow" ranging from Union Square Ventures principal Fred Wilson to the CMO of BestBuy.

Keep in mind that, like so much of the activity around Twitter these days, these verticals are not authorized by or owned by Twitter, but simply extend its usage and buzz. Twitter doesn't charge a thing. To that extent, Twitter isn't just a micro-blogging service -- it's a vertical category's best, and least demanding, friend.