Brace yourselves, Twitter users, your timelines are about to get some new advertisements.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the first of the new ads, set to debut in a few weeks, will allow users to easily download apps. You simply click to download, and will be automatically rerouted to Twitter when the download begins. (Via Google Play, App Store)
Some other ads include a tap-to-call button for connecting users with businesses, an ad for making purchases through Twitter and a one-click sign up for sweepstakes, according to The Journal.
Many are comparing Twitter’s ad push to Facebook’s set of advertising options. And a writer for TechnoBuffalo says it’s necessary, because Twitter needs to keep its momentum.
"Twitter's ad revenue doubled during Q4 of last year, up to $219.6 million compared to the year prior … But while Twitter has been successful with major consumer brands, it's been less so with younger advertising business." (Via TechnoBuffalo)
And Peter Kafka of Re/code says take it from Facebook, this ad-move is a must for growing revenue. "Some industry observers believe app ads may account for half, or even more, of Facebook’s mobile ad revenue."
The move will certainly be a big step up from Twitter’s classic promoted tweets, which didn’t work as well for game developers and companies selling products.
The Verge says sure, no one likes being bombarded with ads, but this won’t necessarily be the case: "That sounds somewhat annoying, but it's important to note that an increase in ad styles doesn't necessarily mean you'll be seeing a greater number of ads in your timeline."
