What else was one going to expect twitter to do, I mean what else does every single new company like a google or twitter or facebook or myspace do, they advertise. I think people have seen enough advertising in a few days to last a lifetime, how many more garbage advertisements do they have to show. How many actually waste their time clicking through these pathetic advertisements, I know I don't. Twitter set to make money through advertisements reuters On Tuesday April 13, 2010, 7:55 am EDT (Reuters) - Popular microblogging site Twitter is all set to unveil its advertisement model on Tuesday, which would mark its first step toward allaying concerns about its revenue generating potential. The advertising program known as "Promoted Tweets" will be rolled out to two to 10 percent of users via search on Twitter.com beginning Tuesday, company spokesperson Sean Garrett told Reuters. Promoted Tweets are ordinary tweets that businesses and organizations want to highlight to a wider group of users, Garrett said. "Users will start to see tweets promoted by our partner advertisers called out at the top of some Twitter.com search results pages," he added. Several companies will run ads, including Best Buy, Virgin America and Starbucks, the New York Times said on its website. The 2-1/2-year-old Internet start-up's short text messages or "tweets" have become a global social phenomenon and the service is used by millions of people every day. "Twitter has great potential as a marketing and advertising channel with opportunities to create viral buzz around a product or service," said Eden Zoller, analyst at technology research firm Ovum. "The flip side of Twitter's immediacy is that if advertising messages are not very carefully positioned users can hit back at brands and in real time, and brands will have little control over this." Twitter, a privately held company, does not report earnings, but its website says: "While our business model is in a research phase, we spend more money than we make."
Not to hijack your thread, but, on a related note, I was surprised to see Toyota ads touting YouTube a few weeks ago. Now one can see ads for different products on YouTube. Amazing, and an intelligent use of the internet.
Who cares? If advertisers are going to pay up (and they will given the popularity of Twitter), why does Twitter care? They are there to make money, and this business model makes money. I fail to see the problem here.
In addition to the inaneness of it (just bought a new belt!!!), this is another reason I have no plans to join the Twitter universe.
Yep, im not on facebook or twitter, never was probably never will be. But as you said the fucking dribble that people write on what they are doing or buying or what ever it is they do is quite sad. No one really cares what your eating for dinner or what movie your about to see, I have no clue why people need to announce their life story on twitter and facebook, guess they are just looking for excitement in their boring lives or maybe they want to get reaction from what others think. Quite sad to say the least.
Recent list of things my family have saved while seeing advertisements on twitter that was posted by other twitter users... * Indoor Rock Climbing training for kids. Normally cost about $325 for a group rate for 6 kids. They put up a special on twitter and we got it for my kid's recent birthday party for $50 bucks. It's a great place, had a great time and now a close friend is going to host one of their kid's birthday party there because of our experience. Note: They don't use twitter. * I recently found a place advertising on twitter that sells darkroom photography supplies. I saved about $1400 bucks just because I mentioned I saw their ad on twitter. * I have family in 4 different countries (U.S, Canada, France and Germany)...we keep in touch (free) via twitter 3rd party applications (tweets, video and photos). Yeah...twitter sucks. Mark
Im sure everyone saved $1400 dollars, I know those type of gimmicks about "mentioning" an ad you heard or saw on TV or on the radio, im sure everyone got that huge savings because no one actually pays the MSRP. As for the rock climbing party everyone pays $50 bucks as well, not just you, I can see if you paid $300 and saved $25 bucks or approximately 10-15%, but to mention an add and save more than 80% is a little far fetched if you ask me.
Lets put it this way...a similar indoor rock climbing party that prompt us to look around cost the our day care provider $365 for her 8 year old son and his pals...she didn't save a penny. I only looked around after talking to the day care provider for my toddler because spouse wanted an at home party with hired clowns doing silly tricks for my 7 year old...which would have bored my kid into insanity. As for my darkroom supplies...I always look for deals instead of paying retail price like most. Let me know if you can find 4x5 film less than $3 per shot...the first time I come across an ad for less on twitter...I'm on it. Mark