Biz Stone, the co-founder of Twitter, confirms today that the microblogging service will launch commercial services aimed at businesses later this year in an effort to monetize the wildly popular but free social network.
Stone says the business service will produce analytics to help them understand how they're performing on Twitter, help them identify and tailor content to followings, and presumably help them track trends and particular opportunities. Then will come business-oriented APIs to create a commercial layer.
Twitter has been coy about its plans for monetization for months, but in recent weeks has produced guides for businesses on how to best use its service. That ought to have twigged for people. Today's announcement, though, is clearer.
Also clear is the message that, for most of us, Twitter will remain free. No changes are coming there, Stone asserts.
Stone says the business service will produce analytics to help them understand how they're performing on Twitter, help them identify and tailor content to followings, and presumably help them track trends and particular opportunities. Then will come business-oriented APIs to create a commercial layer.
Twitter has been coy about its plans for monetization for months, but in recent weeks has produced guides for businesses on how to best use its service. That ought to have twigged for people. Today's announcement, though, is clearer.
Also clear is the message that, for most of us, Twitter will remain free. No changes are coming there, Stone asserts.
