By Merle http://MerlesWorld.com
The latest craze sweeping the Net right now is Twitter. This micro-blogging tool has evolved into 
Over the last few years, many have developed third party software and plug-ins that enable users to do more with Twitter. Along the same lines, many have been thinking of ways to profit from Twitter. Of course, since Twitter lets you communicate with people from all over the world, a natural connection is how to advertise to that crowd.
Now, if you asked most Twitter users what they thought of advertising on Twitter, they'd probably give you an evil stare, and no longer wish to associate with you. Yes, the thought of ads popping up on Twitter makes some people angry and does not appeal to the majority of avid
users.
Still, along with the protests, are those that think Twitter and advertising should go together, sort of like birthday's and cake. So what's available if you're interested in Twitter advertising? I thought
you'd never ask.
1) RevTwt- http://www.RevTwt.com
This service offers a variety of advertising options. Publishers can select from CPC (cost per click) ads, CPT (cost per thousand), which you must have a specific number of followers for, or CPA (viewers must perform a specific action). RevTwt supplies the links and you paste them into your Twitter timeline.
2) Adf.ly: http://Adf.ly
A link shortening service with a twist. Shorten the URL, then post it to Twitter, Facebook, or other social networks, and you'll earn money with every click. The current payout for those in the U.S. is about $1.00 per thousand visitors.
3) Adjix: http://www.Adjix.com
Another link shortening service with an advertising twist built in. Twitter users can choose to embed
ads inside their tweets. Advertisers set the rate they are willing to pay for someone to tweet their
ad. Ad selection varies from a random ad to allowing you to target a specific subject area, for example health. An informative video is available at
http://adjix.com/ddew
4) Be-A-Magpie: http://be-a-magpie.com
A variety of compensation modes to pick from, including pay-per-sale, pay-per-lead, pay-per-click, or pay-per-view. Enter your Twitter user name to see how much you can earn. You'll be paid to allow "Magpie" to post tweets to your account. Tweets sent will be matched to the topic of your usual Tweets, so you won't need to worry about off-topic messages. It's up to you how many ads get posted. It can be set at the default, which is one Magpie tweet for every 10 of yours, or changed. You will need a Paypal account in order to get paid.
5) TwitterAd: http://www.TwitterAd.com
Built using the Twitter open API, just sign up to post your Twitter account to advertisers to sponsor it. You select the ad duration and price, which can be 7 days, 15 days -even one to three months. Just sit back and wait for the offers to come in. You can accept or deny the ad within 48 hours. The recommended ad size is 211X484 height, 300 DPI for best placement on a Twitter user's background. Payouts are made once your account balance reaches $30.00.
6) PayMeTweets: http://www.PayMeTweets.com
To use this "micro-promotional" tool you'll first need to follow "@PayMeTweets.com”. Watch for tweets you like,then “retweet” (RT) them. You'll be paid a set amount for each one. Payment varies depending on your "influence". Credits you earn can also be used to advertise your own products/services. Payout per tweet ranges from a few pennies up to $20.00 for those Twitter users with heavy influence.
7) SponsoredTweets: http://www.SponsoredTweets.com
Connecting advertisers with Twitter users to sponsor "conversations". All paid Twitter ads contain a
disclosure to such in order to comply with the FTC.To set up an account you'll need to set your price,
then add a category and keywords. Advertisers come to you, and you'll make the decision to reject or accept them.
You'll be paid within 24 hours of posting Tweets, and you must earn $50.00 before cashing out. Ads are not posted to your Twitter timeline, you must manually post them.
As Twitter continues to evolve and grow, the number of advertising supported services will too. Like it or not, Twitter is a powerful communication tool that allows people to connect with each other all over the world, and marketing to that audience is a natural by-product of that.
No matter whether you like the idea or not, advertising to Twitter users is here to stay. I'm not taking one side over the other, just reporting some of the options. As my Mama used to say "Don't shoot the messenger!"
