MicroBlogging posts
FeedPosted Apr 9th 2010 12:00PM by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed)
Filed under: Internet, Media World, Technology
More than half of Twitter's users aren't from the U.S. Matt Sanford, lead engineer or the company's international team, writes on Twitter's blog that 60% of its user base comes from outside the U.S. This reflects steady growth from June 2009, when just over 55% of Twitter's users were domestic.
Big-name advocates in foreign countries have bolstered technical developments, such as the release of the platform in Spanish, with Colombian registrations up 300%. Those in India are gaining close to 100% thanks to adoption by high-profile politicians. Further, overseas partnerships, like the one with Bharti Airtel, have made Twitter viable overseas. Early on, international growth prospects were a concern, given mobile carrier rates and texting charges.
Continue reading International Growth to Fuel Twitter Revenue
Posted Mar 19th 2010 1:40PM by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed)
Filed under: Internet, Competitive Strategy, Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Starbucks (SBUX), Best Buy (BBY)
Twitter's a pretty lucky company. Few get two bytes at the hype apple in rapid succession, but this social media platform has found a way to make up for its disappointing announcement about its advertising model. According to VentureBeat, Twitter might unveil its long-awaited, heavily-hyped and possibly investor-satisfying corporate accounts. Next month, at its inaugural Chirp developer conference, we could finally see what might just be the foundation of Twitter's business model.
Continue reading Twitter May Chirp Its Commercial Accounts Next Month
Posted Feb 26th 2010 10:30AM by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed)
Filed under: General Electric (GE), Wal-Mart (WMT), Chevron Corp (CVX), Chubb Corp (CB)

The nagging notion that
Twitter is nothing more than a way for a kids to piss away their time was put to bed in 2009. It came together, especially, for
Black Friday and the holiday shopping season that followed, but even when you look at the year as a whole, it's clear that major businesses jumped on the microblogging bandwagon readily.
A new study by the Society for New Communications Research shows that Fortune 500 companies became addicted to communicating in 140-character blurbs last year.
Among the Fortune 500, 35% of companies had active Twitter accounts last year, which means that at least one tweet had been unleashed in the past 30 days. And, the use of Twitter is concentrated at the top: 47% of the Fortune 100 had active accounts last year. Only 22% of Fortune 500 companies had public-facing corporate blogs as of last year, but those that do see the value of integrated communications: more than 80% of these blogs were linked to a corporate Twitter account.
Continue reading Fortune 500 Loves Twitter, Especially the Insurance Business
Posted Dec 15th 2009 9:30AM by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed)
Filed under: Internet, Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Yahoo! (YHOO), Media World, Technology
Twitter-watchers have been expecting the company to make some move toward corporate microblogging capabilities for months now. This is one of the two directions that the social media platform has on its agenda for generating revenue, and it is likely the one with the greater potential. The other, serving ads on Twitter.com, is currently constrained by the fact that nearly 70% of Twitter use occurs away from the company's website.
While all talk of corporate accounts is still shrouded in speculation, the obvious plan would be for corporate users to have more robust analytics and other marketing tools for which a premium would be paid. Among the tools being rolled out ostensibly in advance of this business model is a multi-user account model, in which several "Contributors," as Twitter is calling them, can tweet under the same umbrella.
Continue reading Twitter gets a step closer to corporate accounts
Posted Dec 11th 2009 10:20AM by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed)
Filed under: Internet, Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Yahoo! (YHOO), Media World, Technology
It really didn't take Yahoo! (YHOO) long to pull the trigger. Only a few weeks ago, the perpetual also-ran in the search engine market announced that, like Microsoft (MSFT) and Google (GOOG), it would integrate Twitter data into its search capabilities, part of a race among the three companies toward "real-time search." Unlike its competitors, though, Yahoo! didn't shell out a dime for its access to the microblogging service's data, instead using existing developer tools to get what it needs.
Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that it wasn't in a rush to win in real-time search ... while indicating that it wasn't exactly lagging Google. Both companies have yet to demonstrate a fully integrated Twitter capability. While Yahoo! still has a long way to go, its announcement on Thursday suggests that it has an early lead, despite not having licensed any data from Twitter.
Continue reading Yahoo! makes another Twitter move, market yawns
Posted Dec 9th 2009 10:30AM by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed)
Filed under: Internet, Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Yahoo! (YHOO), Media World, Technology
Google (GOOG) may be going after real-time search, but Microsoft (MSFT) isn't following. The company said on Tuesday that it doesn't see a pressing need to integrate with social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to deliver real-time results. According to Adam Sohn, director of Bing, Microsoft's search engine, "We're focused on our customers, not the competition."
Real-time search involves taking the freshest updates from social media platforms as soon as they are posted and including them in search results. For Google, the search engine segment leader by a mile, this has been a priority. In addition to Facebook and Twitter, Google has also inked an agreement with Yahoo! (YHOO).
Continue reading Microsoft won't chase Google into real-time search
Posted Dec 7th 2009 12:00PM by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed)
Filed under: Internet, Microsoft (MSFT), Dell (DELL), General Electric (GE), Time Warner (TWX), Amazon.com (AMZN), New York Times'A' (NYT), Whole Foods Market (WFMI), Comcast Cl'A' (CMCSA), JetBlue Airways (JBLU), Media World, Technology
With close to 60 million users, Twitter is a force corporate marketing departments just can't ignore. The reach offered by this microblogging platform is profound, and skipping it means yielding digital turf to the competition.
Yet, as the country's major brands have flocked to Twitter, not all have mastered it. Some merely push headlines and deals, while others have used it as a way to open a dialogue with their customers, build relationships and ultimately grow their businesses. A study by The Big Money sought to determine the dozen companies that are mastering Twitter and why they are the masters.
Continue reading Tops on Twitter: 12 companies that are doing it right
Posted Nov 24th 2009 10:30AM by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed)
Filed under: Internet, Apple Inc (AAPL), Research in Motion (RIMM), Media World, Initial Public Offerings, Technology
Twitter is on the prowl. Though it made its last acquisition more than a year ago, company founder Biz Stone said on Tuesday that it's looking to add to the stable. There aren't any specific targets yet -- at least none revealed -- and Twitter is keeping its options open. The likely pool of potential acquisitions consists of third-party Twitter application developers, which is largely responsible for the micro-blogging service's growth in popularity.
Stone, one of Twitter's founders, said at a Tel Aviv news conference, "As our attention is grabbed by some of these developers, we will take a hard look at them." This refers to companies that develop applications for Apple's (AAPL) iPhone and Research in Motion's (RIMM) Blackberry. It also refers to developers for the Web and desktop, such as HootSuite and TweetDeck.
Continue reading Twitter to make acquisitions, generate revenue in 2010
Posted Nov 21st 2009 3:40PM by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed)
Filed under: Internet, Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Yahoo! (YHOO), Technology
Twitter calls Google (GOOG) a "good role model," but says it isn't ready to rush down the road to advertising.
Nonetheless, an ad-based revenue model is something that cofounder Biz Stone says they "will be looking to do down the line." But, for now, he continues, Twitter is focused on "creating value for our users." For now, revenue generation ideas are being put on paper, "and we're definitely going to get to them," Stone says.
Continue reading Twitter finally reveals revenue ambition, wants to be Google -- but not yet
Posted Nov 8th 2009 10:10AM by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed)
Filed under: Internet, Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Apple Inc (AAPL), Media World, Technology
The Twitter ecosystem may be changing constantly, but most of that comes on the back of individual developers and outside companies. They beat on Twitter APIs to create new products that may win them glory, recognition or cash. Over the past month, though, Twitter itself has gotten into the game, releasing or announcing a handful of new features.
A new function for "retweeting" (echoing another's tweet to your own followers), changes to how trending topics are managed, and the ability to create lists are new tools intended to engage users ... on the Twitter.com website. Considered within the context of Twitter's changed terms of service this year, the upgrades may be part of a broader ad-based revenue plan.
Continue reading New Twitter features suggest ad-based financial future
Posted Oct 11th 2009 1:10PM by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed)
Filed under: Competitive Strategy, Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT)
What do you do when you're wildly popular, face increased costs due to that popularity, and have no discernible way to make money? Call Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), and let them fight over the right to solve your problems for you. Twitter, the off-the-charts hot microblogging site, is said to be in advanced talks with both titans of the technology industry about giving them access to its data feed, according to an All Things D report (via Reuters).
The hope would be for either company to use the Twitter feed data to improve its search engines, with a goal of "real-time search" -- which translates to sifting through the torrent of tweets posted every second. The deal structures on the table vary, from a multimillion dollar licensing deal to revenue-sharing programs that would give Twitter a taste of the ad cash generated by Microsoft or Google from its use of the Twitter data.
Continue reading Twitter holds out tin cup to Microsoft and Google
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