Digital News

Online Revenue Models

Presented by Blake Bowyer January 13 |Class Number 4

Article Overview

“Twitter builds team to focus on revenue generation”

• Four job postings for work on “cutting edge monetization projects”

• Also software and engineering• May involve premium services

targeted at businesses– Analytics tools, etc.

• “Monetization matters … ”• Raised $155 million from VCs overall

Article online @ http://bit.ly/4OS90r

Why Should Marketers Care?• 19.4 million unique visitors in

November 2009, regularly ranks in top 15 sites overall

• Many brands, firms, and marketers using Twitter for some function

• As Twitter “matures”, how will it change?• Always the chance of subscription fees,

could alter landscape• Product marketing manager for

monetization would “[enhance] business users' understanding of the value of Twitter."

Why Is This Newsworthy?• Despite buzz, Twitter still doesn’t have a

business model• Creation of potentially revolutionary

business model• Twitter still spends more than it earns• 120 total employees, 26 current openings

– Potential 22% increase in staff • Seeking revenues beyond recent

licensing deals with Google and Microsoft

How Can Marketers Use Twitter?

• Two-way engagement• Brand monitoring• Promotion• Content publishing• Customer service• Instant communication• Humanize• Who knows?

Questions???