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

International Growth to Fuel Twitter Revenue originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Twenty-six percent of businesses using Twitter say they'd pay for the right services, and that might just be good enough.

WebBizIdeas.com polled 850 Twitter business users about what services would lead them to pry open their wallets. Three quarters of them said they either weren't crazy or were unsure about paying for additional features like analytics (31% and 43%, respectively), which sounds like a menacing amount. Yet, the size of this social media environment may make the 26% sufficient.

Continue reading Businesses to Twitter: Give Us More than Analytics

Businesses to Twitter: Give Us More than Analytics originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Twitter May Chirp Its Commercial Accounts Next Month originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Fortune 500 Loves Twitter, Especially the Insurance Business

Fortune 500 Loves Twitter, Especially the Insurance Business originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Twitter gets a step closer to corporate accounts originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Yahoo! makes another Twitter move, market yawns originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Microsoft won't chase Google into real-time search originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Tops on Twitter: 12 companies that are doing it right originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Twitter to make acquisitions, generate revenue in 2010 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Twitter finally reveals revenue ambition, wants to be Google -- but not yet originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yahoo! (YHOO) is the latest company that wants to optimize its search results for Twitter. This follows moves by Microsoft (MSFT) and Google (GOOG) to integrate Twitter data into their search results. Unlike its competitors, however, Yahoo! wants to do this without spending a dime (well, without giving a dime to the hot new social media platform).

Twitter's microblogging service has become famous not only for its rapid growth but also because it's found no way to turn it into revenue. Its recent discussions with Microsoft and Google demonstrated that Twitter can indeed bring in some cash -- by licensing its data for use in fine-tuning search engines. With two of the top search engines now optimizing for Twitter, it was only a matter of time before Yahoo! would rush to join the party.

Continue reading Yahoo! wants in on Twitter: No money involved

Yahoo! wants in on Twitter: No money involved originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

New Twitter features suggest ad-based financial future originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sergey Brin claims that Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) didn't try to buy Twitter. The co-founder of the search engine giant made a surprise appearance at Web 2.0 Thursday, where organizer John Battelle asked point blank if he'd made a move for the popular microblogging website.

Of course, Brin revealed his fluency in corporate speak, continuing, "But if companies approach us we definitely consider any opportunities to buy," according to Reuters. A denial doesn't always mean a denial, especially if there were agreements to keep negotiations confidential.

Continue reading Did Google try to buy Twitter?

Did Google try to buy Twitter? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Twitter holds out tin cup to Microsoft and Google originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Twitter is on the brink of nabbing another $100 million in financing, according to the New York Times. This would value the company at $1 billion, bringing back memories of outrageous valuations without corresponding revenue.

Insight Venture Partners and T. Rowe Price are said to be involved in the transaction, which would put them with Spark Capital and Institutional Venture Partners as investors in the popular microblogging site.

Continue reading T. Rowe Price, Insight Venture Partners in Twitter deal

T. Rowe Price, Insight Venture Partners in Twitter deal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Private microblogging service Twitter Inc. continues to make headline after headline. Like MySpace did in 2005 and Facebook has in recent years, the service is attracting scores of consumers, marketers, and now corporate clients wishing to catch the fad and sell more stuff. How can anything be sold when "tweets" of 140 characters are being bandied about by the millions?

Continue reading Twitter the next fad in consumer marketing? Doubtful

Twitter the next fad in consumer marketing? Doubtful originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 04 Apr 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This week, Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) stirred things up when it announced that it purchased Jaiku, which allows for microblogging and other shared communications on mobile devices.

What's going on here?

I had a chance to interview Gary Hall, who is the president of Pringo Networks, a player in the space.

Continue reading BloggingStocks Interview: Pringo looks at the hyper-activity in microblogging

BloggingStocks Interview: Pringo looks at the hyper-activity in microblogging originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Oct 2007 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Twitter has seen lots of traction lately. But, there is competition, such as from Finland's Jaiku. The company says that it's "an activity stream and presence sharing service that works from the Web and mobile phones."

And, now Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) has just bought the company. In fact, Jaiku is a spring chicken, having been founded in February 2006 (the product launched in July 2006).

No doubt, mobile is key for Google. And, like other areas - such as videos - it's been tough for the company to develop things organically. So, why not buy its way into the space?

Unfortunately, you can't check out the Jaiku service (it's closed to new users right now). And as seen with other Google deals - such as for Jot - it's unclear when we might see it re-emerge (or appear in other Google services).

But, if I were Twitter, I would be quivering.

Also, if you want to check out other M&A deals, click here.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements.

Micro-blogging service Jaiku snapped up by Google originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Oct 2007 18:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.