Google Links Up With TwitterTo Sell Ads
This story was written by Joseph Tartakoff.
A new option for companies looking to boost their Twitter followings: Google (NSDQ: GOOG) is now letting advertisers stream their Tweets on its AdSense network, AdAge reports. In other words, rather than put a traditional ad on the network, a recent Tweet shows up. Clicking on the tweet takes the visitor to the company's Twitter feed. The first advertiser to sign up for the service is Intuit's TurboTax. The feature, which is still in testing mode, is yet another sign that mainstream companies are taking Twitter seriously.
But it could also pose some problems. For anyone not familiar with Twitter (and there are people not familiar with Twitter), Tweets can appear to be written in a secret code. Some recent examples from TurboTax's profile:
"Is it just me or is Twitter slow for everyone today?"
"Getting ready for our TurboTax Tweetathon at 3 looking forward to your questions! #TurboTax;"
"@TurboAffiliates Thanks for the shout out."
Huh? But an Intuit representative says the company wants to build its Twitter following, which now stands at 1,114. Twitter representatives answer tax questions on the account. "We're not going to hard sell you on the product, but we want people to know there are lots of people here who can help answer your questions," he says.
By Joseph Tartakoff