If I had my way, social networking sites would be free of ads so I could spend more time being annoyed with the sheer volume of religious Facebook posts from my in-laws or laughing at @the_ironsheik‘s latest tweet-rade.
“euro cup good sport real sport not like the bull s$!t curling,” in case you were wondering.
But, the world’s not perfect – especially not the cyber world – and these companies need to make money. And what Twitter lacks in characters it makes up for in successful mobile advertising. According to The Wall Street Journal, the site is heads and shoulders above Facebook and Google in mobile advertising revenue, earning much more there than on Twitter.com.
A key to its success may be that any advertisement can easily be made into a Tweet and run as a sponsored message. Because if CVS wants to use Twitter to notify consumers of a sale of Justin Bieber singing toothbrushes, you’d better believe the stores would be packed faster than a tween girl’s tastes change.
“We know that mobile is how people access Twitter, it’s where people are overall, and we know it’s where the business is,” Adam Bain, Twitter’s president of global revenue, told the newspaper.
Chinese restaurant chain P.F. Chang’s recently opened its Twitter advertising fortune cookie, spending just $25,000 on an ad for a Lunar New Year promotion, according to the Wall Street Journal. Just days later, 1 million people had viewed the ad – 70 percent of whom did so from mobile devices.
Other web giants have recently said they either do not generate a considerable about of revenue from mobile advertising (Facebook) or they just don’t monetize as well (Google). However, they’re likely to start stepping up efforts after Twitter showed them up.
Hopefully Zuckerberg & Co. make improvements to the sponsored advertisements geared toward users before showing up on mobile apps. Because many advertising platforms, like Google AdWords, only turn a profit if ads are clicked on, this should be perfected. Look both ways before you cross the information highway, people.
On a recent trip to my Facebook homepage, I was lured by Courvoisier Rose – the first and last time I drank the cordial was as a joke; a bikes and music festival on the beach – I don’t have a bike!; and a PBS show called “Mariachi High,” which I presume is programming twinged with the traditional style of music, which isn’t exactly my cup of horchata.
Ads displayed in Gmail actually could be useful, as they are based on the subject of some inbox messages. But, what if you just annoyingly get messages from an electronic music promoter who got your address from a music venue’s list? Soon your inbox will be flooded with ads for Skrillex tickets, neon tank tops and face paint.
About Sean Biehle
I’m a Taurus who enjoys rainy Sunday afternoons, open source technology, and unicorns.