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New Feature: Sponsored Tweets

Today, we’re excited to announce the immediate availability of a new ad type: Sponsored Tweets. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, sponsored tweets are already being bought and sold between advertisers and influential Twitter users alike. The addition of Sponsored Tweets to BuySellAds better streamlines this process between advertisers and publishers, and creates a transparent and open marketplace for both parties.

Just like all aspects of BuySellAds, the publisher selling tweets will have total control over ad approval, content, pricing, and frequency. It takes only a couple minutes for publishers to get setup, and on the advertiser side it’s about the same – only a couple minutes to purchase a sponsored tweet.

Here’s a quick video on how this works:

We welcome any and all feedback, and are excited to bring this new feature to BuySellAds. Existing BSA publishers can setup sponsored tweet zones on their buy now pages by going to Sell Ads > Properties, clicking on the “add zone” link, and then selecting the “Sponsored Tweet” ad format.

  • http://www.stockvault.net Bjorgvin

    I think it’s a great addition to bsa. Well done!

  • http://john.onolan.org JohnONolan

    BuySellAds has grown into the network it is today because it enticed the design community with quality advertising, though a reputable company. This is the exact opposite of that. This isn’t selling advertising, this is selling spam.

    What’s next? Selling paid blog posts for money? Selling cold calls for money? Selling text messages for money?

    If I pay you enough money, can you convince Vitaly Friedman to let me borrow (and spam) his blog, his twitter account, his mobile phone AND his wife? Where’s the line?

    • http://www.journeydigitalmedia.com Seth Waite

      Whoa there. You are jumping the gun and forgetting one important thing….

      The Twitter account owners just like the blog/website owners have complete control over what goes out. Do you think people that have worked hard to keep their sites clean of spam, to choose reputable advertisers, and to provide quality content are suddenly going to just start accepting anyone who wants to drop a couple of bucks?

      Not only are you out of place with this comment but your logic is misplaced as well. If BSA has

      “grown into the network it is today because it enticed the design community with quality advertising”

      Would they suddenly start tossing crappy advertisers at site owners? Before you start calling people spammers and making grossly wrong insinuations think about it first. BSA is a quality company and I have no doubt this segment of advertising will be the same.

      Thanks for the new features.

      • http://waldropdesign.com Andy Waldrop

        I’m sure these will be tweeted with no disclosure of them being paid tweets either. It goes against the core reason why I follow certain individuals, for their genuine opinions on things related to their interests/expertise. Key word in this phrase is “genuine”. Even the smallest amount of adversarial influence kills it.

  • http://john.onolan.org JohnONolan

    Sorry, who are you?

    If I ask my friend Jim to borrow his phone so I can spam his customers and he agrees, then he is indeed no better – but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s spam. A Twitter account is not a publishing platform for advertising, it’s a means of personal (but public) communication. It’s a simple as that.

    Anyone in my stream who sends out paid tweets will be unfollowed, blocked, and reported for spam. Because that’s what it is.

  • http://john.onolan.org JohnONolan

    @Andy – totally agree.

    • http://buysellads.com Todd Garland

      please see my comment above, we force disclosure on paid tweets purchased through the system.

    • http://john.onolan.org JohnONolan

      I was agreeing with this part:

      “I follow certain individuals, for their genuine opinions on things related to their interests/expertise.”

      Which I don’t think is covered in the FTC’s guidelines.

      • http://buysellads.com Todd Garland

        ah, thanks for the clarification

  • http://www.carlinscuderi.com Carlin Scuderi

    Well. This is a shame. I really don’t like seeing ads on Twitter. I’m going to just unfollow people/organizations that pollute my feed. Hopefully Twitter will come up with a way to start charging people for leveraging their free medium to advertise.

  • Peter

    Is there a way to only list Sponsored Tweets ads, for those of us who wants to buy them? Unless I’m missing something, you might want to add Sponsored Tweets as a separate ad type on the browse inventory page.

    • http://buysellads.com Todd Garland

      Hi Peter – Yes, there is a way. We haven’t made this “public” in the directory yet, as we’re waiting to build up a larger inventory; however, the way to see only sponsored tweet ad types can be done using this link: http://buysellads.com/buy/channel/id/-1/imagetext/off/textdesc/off/imageonly/off

      So far, they are selling very well and it’s likely we will make the link to this page public in the directory tomorrow.

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  • http://www.photoshop-plus.co.uk Photoshop Plus

    Great idea, and a great addition to BSA

    thanks

  • http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=head%20so%20far%20up%20ass *Ad

    @John stop bitching – is your head in your ass for the warmth?

    A publisher does not have to accept the tweet and the tweet is labeled ‘Ad’ – if you do not like it unfollow them.

  • http://www.spiceupyourblog.com Paul Crowe

    Having a minimum fee of ten bucks per tweet is a bit much for smaller publishers to charge.The option to have maybe increase the number of tweets like $10 for 3 tweets would help get more sales.

    • http://buysellads.com Todd Garland

      Hi Paul – with sponsored tweets the pricing is actually interesting. As an ad format, it can’t really be compared to banner advertising since it’s so different. It’s more of an engagement type thing, with a very fast response time, and therefore commands somewhat of a premium. It doesn’t really matter how many followers you have (but like impressions, we need some baseline gauge of reach), but more so the quality of those followers and their engagement. Looking at the current sponsored tweets that are for sale in the directory, and after a couple days of solid sales, the engagement the advertisers are getting from the ads is quite interesting.

      So, that’s my long-winded way of saying: $10 is a very reasonable starting price, and if publishers are not able to sell sponsored tweets at $10, I would argue that they should wait until they build up more of a following. Also, the $10 minimum is more of a fee thing than anything else, it doesn’t make sense for us to transact for less than that as a business.

  • http://www.graphicdesignblender.com Preston

    News flash to everyone who has left a negative comment: Most big sites/accounts are doing this already and you may not even know it. At least BSA is forcing disclosure.

    You’re just angry, because it’s such a simple way to make money, and yet again, BSA got to it before you did.

    BSA, thanks for the excellent service and great ideas in moving forward all the time!

    • http://www.famousbloggers.net/ Hesham

      I completely agree with you Preston, I’ve seen many sponsored tweets here and there, there is absolutely nothing wrong with sponsored tweets if you ad a disclosure!

      I love this feature and I am in with no doubt!

  • http://shaileshtr.in shaileshtr

    I am also on twitter, So it is good opportunity for me to find an advertiser on buysellads. Thanks!!

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  • http://www.karmistry.com Darren

    What a horrible idea. I follow someone on twitter to be engaged, not to be sold to. Twitter shouldn’t be used for transmission only.

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  • http://twitter.com/rebel999 Rebel999

    can i only register for sponsored tweets on your site

    • http://buysellads.com Todd Garland

      yes, you can. it will require you to submit your site, however, but then you would only add a tweet zone. This is the “work-around” for now, and very soon you will be able to submit a twitter account directly without having to create the site first.

  • http://timeofcreation.com/ Tim

    bad or good idea? will just have to try and see, i wonder whats the feedback from people that have already used this service?

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  • http://edutechnology.net rafi

    thnx buysell ads

  • Jay

    Can you sign up even thou you do not own a website?

    • http://www.uxbooth.com Matthew

      BuySellTweets.com was set up to allow you to sell ads without a website :)

  • http://www.seo-ppc-training.blogspot.in/ Aamy Aaron

    I found this post very informative.
    I’ve researched about this type and this was the best blog about it.
    Thanks for sharing! :)

  • http://www.technologiblog.com Ambar

    very nice post!!