Twitter ads on Tweet Conversations? Though it might sound like a random spot to just chuck an ad in, Twitter does eye the reply threads as a new placement option for ads. It’s as interesting as it sounds because you normally wouldn’t expect to see advertising just by going through a bunch of conversational Tweets. Nevertheless, it’s a “creative” approach that Twitter is taking in hopes of improving overall brand interaction.
This Tweet by Twitter Revenue Product Lead Bruce Falck provides an example of what the new ad option would look like. At best, users should expect to see promotions somewhere along the first few replies to a Tweet or ‘right where the conversation is happening’. Interestingly enough, the forum powerhouse, Reddit, announced something similar just last month.
Currently, the new format is only in testing – a beta phase at best. Only certain users will be able to see promoted Tweets, but that is more of a good thing considering the obstinate characteristic of most Twitter users. We can’t say that we don’t relate, because honestly, who would want to see distracting ads in the middle of a discussion?
Show Me The Money
Of course, it’s never new functionality just for the sake of new functionality. On the other end of the spectrum is how this update can potentially improve overall platform revenue generation. Falck goes on to point out that the option could, in theory, lead to a direct monetization of Tweets, with the creator being able to opt-in to these ads, then getting a cut of the ad-revenue in return.
This aligns with the platform’s push for broader creator monetization, further incentivizing its top ‘Tweeters’ to Tweet more often. To exemplify the case, presently, when a tweet goes viral, the creator usually plops a reply or “bump” that often highlights other channels that they use for charitable causes. They can then focus attention on said other channels as a result of their Tweet. With the new format, you would essentially be taking that scenario and in opting-in, would be directly monetized based on the Tweet’s performance.
In short, the more viral a Tweet, the more revenue it creates; more discussion equals more dollars. Of course, should it ever roll out in full, expect there to be regulations and thresholds to limit instances of system abuse and facilitate fair-use.
The Wrap
In general, it’s an okay-ish option to have, mainly because of the type of promotions that best suit Twitter’s environment; with this not being one of them. While it’s a good initiative on Twitter’s side, only creators that are able to gain massive Tweet traction, on average, will really feel the benefits.
It could be a different scenario for brands too, where they could be able to plugin promotions on viral Tweets. As of now, Twitter looks to further carry out tests with varying configurations of frequencies, layouts, and contextual elements. All we can be sure of is that careful consideration should be made with this option, as an ad in the wrong place at the wrong time can spell disaster.
Have you ever been in the middle of a good YouTube video then just as the scene was reaching its peak an ad plays? Yeah, take that, except that instead of a video, it’s a Tweet reply thread.
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