Last week, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone disclosed that Twitter plans to launch a “commercial layer” later this year in which it will provide premium services to companies that will include statistics and analytics.
On the surface, this seems like a good idea given there’s growing demand among business for insight and information about social media activity, including Twitter.
Some questions that need to be asked, however, are:
1. Is Twitter late to the statistics/analytics game? There are already lots of third-party developers using Twitter’s API to offer these kind of services, so does the market want/need something from Twitter?
2. For companies really into statistics and analytics, wouldn’t they be better off using a social media analytics service such as Sysomos, Radian6 or ScoutLabs?
My gut tells me that Twitter may generate some revenue from offering statistics and analytics but the real opportunity when it comes to business is selling an enterprise version of Twitter that can be used for internal communications – the kind of service that Yammer and Present.lyare offering.
Why Twitter hasn’t launched this service is another one of those strategic mysteries, along with why it continues to shun contextual advertising, as well as strategic acquisitions.
Given the popularity of micro-blogging, you would think that Twitter would be all over companies looking for a tool that’s easy to use and implement.
Given how many companies have embraced Twitter as a sales, marketing and communications tool, the sell for an internal service shouldn’t be that difficult.
This is just a gut call but Twitter will be fortunate to generate a modest amount of revenue from statistics and analytics – but certainly nowhere near the kind of money it needs to justify the major amount of venture capital it has raised.
For more on Twitter’s revenue ambitious, check out VentureBeat.
Will Businesses Pay for Twitter?
On the surface, this seems like a good idea given there’s growing demand among business for insight and information about social media activity, including Twitter.
Some questions that need to be asked, however, are:
1. Is Twitter late to the statistics/analytics game? There are already lots of third-party developers using Twitter’s API to offer these kind of services, so does the market want/need something from Twitter?
2. For companies really into statistics and analytics, wouldn’t they be better off using a social media analytics service such as Sysomos, Radian6 or ScoutLabs?
My gut tells me that Twitter may generate some revenue from offering statistics and analytics but the real opportunity when it comes to business is selling an enterprise version of Twitter that can be used for internal communications – the kind of service that Yammer and Present.lyare offering.
Why Twitter hasn’t launched this service is another one of those strategic mysteries, along with why it continues to shun contextual advertising, as well as strategic acquisitions.
Given the popularity of micro-blogging, you would think that Twitter would be all over companies looking for a tool that’s easy to use and implement.
Given how many companies have embraced Twitter as a sales, marketing and communications tool, the sell for an internal service shouldn’t be that difficult.
This is just a gut call but Twitter will be fortunate to generate a modest amount of revenue from statistics and analytics – but certainly nowhere near the kind of money it needs to justify the major amount of venture capital it has raised.
For more on Twitter’s revenue ambitious, check out VentureBeat.