Selling in 140 characters or less.
According to datamation.com, Twitter ad revenue is expected to triple in 2011. The popular social networking site has offered promoted tweets for months now, allowing companies to pay for tweets that would appear in selective search results. Other existing means of advertising on Twitter include ads within Twitter's trending topics and promoted accounts, where your account will be displayed to users under a 'suggested for you' feature.
For 2011, Twitter has plans to open a partially self-service ad platform. It is speculated that advertisers will set daily budgets, maximum bids, select search keywords and interests, all so Twitter will know when to display the ad.
Will you be taking advantage of Twitter ads?
If electing to purchase a Twitter ad, I strongly recommend the following:
- Cut to the chase - With only 140 characters available, there is no room to include unnecessary verbiage.
- Generate an enticing offer - Successful ads include an attractive call to action with a corresponding link. The purpose of twitter is for users to keep up-to-date while not having to invest a large amount of time. Make it easy for prospects to reach you.
- Research your keyword selections - If you're going to spend the money, you want to guarantee the ad is going to be effective and reach the right audience. Make sure your ad is targeted. Not doing so could result in many unqualified leads at your expense.
These may seem obvious, but could prove to be the difference between a profitable campaign and an ROI equivalent of receiving the Twitter Fail Whale. #HappyTweeting!