Twitter Launches Promoted Tweets
The California based social networking site is the fastest growing of all time and has been valued at over 1bn. But there has been a question lurking from the start, how will it make money? The company has resisted any move towards traditional advertising in its four years and many analysts have been trying to determine what kind of business model it will adopt and how it will turn a profit.
To answer this question, Twitter recently launched ‘promoted tweets’ which Co-founder of Twitter, Biz Stone has describes as “ordinary tweets that businesses and organisations want to highlight to a wider group of users”.
These promoted tweets will firstly only be seen at the top of relevant search results, similar to Google’s ‘sponsored links’ but a second phase will see the integration of these tweets into users feeds where relevant.
Some of the first companies to invest include Starbucks, Virgin America, Best Buy and Red Bull. These companies are not only benefitting from the model but also receiving relevant hype from its launch.
To control the relevance of promoted tweets and ensure its success, Twitter Executives insist that these promoted tweets must “resonate with users”. If the tweets are not retweeted and replied to, they will be deleted.
Twitter has proved itself as an influential channel which is great at creating internet viral buzz around a product or service but some experts think this new concept could irritate users who, in turn, may hit back at the brands which the brands will have no control over.
Some of the most successful commercial use of twitter has been as a customer service tool, brands are able to respond to negative feedback directly and in real time, which can have a positive effect on the image of the company. But some experts think that users will enter twitter in a ‘complaining’ mood rather than a ‘buying’ one so this new ad format may only cause trouble, in real time, which companies will have to respond to.
The key to a successful online brand is good web design and web development
