Sponsored Tweets – The Newest Form of Virtual Advertising

Unless you have been living under a rock, chances are that you have heard of the online social networking website called Twitter. Like Facebook, Twitter has really taken off over the past few years and many people are using this service to keep their friends and family constantly updated with everything that is happening in their lives. By using short blurbs that users post to their Twitter account, members can immediately send information to all of their Twitter 'followers' at the click of a mouse. Many Twitter users even send out their 'Tweets' from their cell phone or mobile device.

So if Twitter is the hot new form of communication – advertisers had to find out how they could take advantage of this new medium. Those advertisers have finally found their answer in the form of sponsored tweets. Sponsored tweets are Twitter messages that contain an advertising message along with a link to a website or product. These tweets are usually sent out by Twitter members who have a large following, such as celebrities or well known bloggers.

Those Twitter members who have followers that number in the thousands can sign up for sponsored tweet websites like Ad.ly. This website allows advertisers to make a payment offer on a sponsored tweet to any Twitter member. Obviously, if you are a Twitter member who wants to sign up for Ad.ly, the more followers you have the more likely you are to get approached with an offer from a potential advertiser.

Many celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Steven Colbert are now sending out sponsored tweets to their millions of followers. These celebrity tweets can cost an advertiser between $1,000 and $10,000 for a single tweet. But the advertiser can be assured that their message is reaching each and every follower. Advertisers can also select specific celebrities or sports stars to tweet their message. After all, if you are selling sports related products you would not want Kim Kardashian to send your tweet to her followers, but you might want Chad Ochocinco to send it out for you. This shows that selecting the appropriate person to send out their sponsored tweets can really help advertisers reach their target consumers.

So if you are a Twitter user with a large following, you might want to consider signing up for Ad.ly or other sponsored tweet networks. Take advantage of the future of advertising – because it looks like the future is now!

Author: Michael-John Wolfe