Twitter Ads Come to the Stream

Twitter will begin today expanding its ad platform, Promoted Tweets, to the individual streams of its users.
The new ads, like their Twitter Search counterparts, will be targeted based primarily on keywords; it’s designed to only serve ads that are relevant to its users. Don’t expect Twitter.com to be filled with ads anytime soon, though; the company is beginning its tests with the third-party HootSuite.
The microblogging service launched its ad platform last April in order to begin monetizing its more than 100 million users. Twitter first included ads in search result pages, but then launched ads in trending topics. Last month, Twitter unveiled Promoted Accounts, which advertises a brand’s Twitter account in the website’s “Suggestions for You” feature.
Today’s announcement is a much bigger deal, though. While most of the company’s users utilize search and trending topics sparingly, every active user is exposed to the stream of tweets from their friends and preferred brands. It has the potential to generate millions in revenue for Twitter, but it also has the potential to upset, alienate and confuse its users.
According to Ad Age, Twitter’s initial partners for in-stream advertising include Virgin, Starbucks and Red Bull, all of which have been part of previous tests of Twitter’s ad network. Twitter announced last month that it would be testing Promoted Tweets in apps and mentioned HootSuite as one of its initial partners.
We’re expecting an announcement from Twitter momentarily.

0 comments:

Post a Comment