The big news in the social media world at the moment is the (long anticipated) introduction of advertising on Twitter, namely ‘Promoted Tweets’.
Twitter Advertising
Twitter have notoriously avoided adding advertising to the site since its release for public use in July 2006. However, they were never going to fund the site and the 175 staff working behind it on good will alone and, no matter how much of an uproar it may cause, the introduction of some kind of revenue model was inevitable.
What is notable in the case of Twitter is that their reluctance to infringe on the experience of the end user has led them to wait until they have found, what they believe, is a suitable solution to drawing revenue. As such, I feel we should look carefully at what Promoted Tweets have to offer…
What are Promoted Tweets?
Promoted Tweets are tweets which are paid for by companies and which are featured in and appear at the top of Twitter searches, and which are highlighted in the feeds of those already following said companies. This will potentially allow advertisers to inform Tweeters of the latest deals and offers in a real-time manner.
According to Twitter founder Biz Stone “There is not a single ‘ad’ in our Promoted Tweets platform that isn’t already an organic part of Twitter.” The image below shows a promoted tweet:
Promoted Tweets require that the tweets be engaged with by users to ensure their ongoing presence in the search listings. This means the tweet needs to be replied to, retweeted or made a favourite to avoid being removed by Twitter.
So how does this affect Social Media Marketing?
Social Media Marketing relies heavily on engaging content and consideration of the end user. It’s about drawing people into a conversation from which both parties can benefit, providing useful information combined with personality and a human touch.
I believe strongly in this mode of communication. There’s value to be found in organic, transparent, human contact; engaging content which is not afraid to show the person behind it.
And this is where I feel Promoted Tweets will really thrive. The requirement for their content to be engaged with by the end user is, in my opinion, going to stand as a real driving force for more user-centred thinking (something which forms the cornerstone of all of our thinking here at Zabisco).
Is it worth it?
Despite the good which I think Promoted Tweets can do, I’m not yet convinced of the ROI value of the advertising technique. Having always sustained a strong belief in the use of engaging content and conversation with the end user, I remain unsold on the idea of paying to promote this content.
I manage various Twitter accounts for our clients on a day to day basis here at Zabisco, and cannot emphasize enough how important it is to gradually build up a following .
That said, however, as more and more big companies sign up to Promoted Tweets, it begins to catch the eye of more and more companies, large and small. I watch with interest to see how Promoted Tweets develop and are adopted…
How do you see Promoted Tweets being used? Would you use the service yourself? How do you think it will impact on Twitter and advertising as a whole? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
