Social media giant Twitter is experienced more success with its “promoted trends” marketing effort than many business and marketing analysts had previously expected. As a result, the Wall Street Journal‘s All Things Digital is reporting that “promoted trends” may now be the microblogging juggernaut’s most consistent source of revenue.
Now the company wants to wring more money out of them: It has told buyers to expect a significant price bump for the ads in the next few months.
Unlike other major players in the digital ad game – like Apple with its hugely expensive iAd campaigns – Twitter doesn’t have established thresholds or “rate cards” for its promoted trends, but many report the daily rate going for somewhere in the ballpark of $80,000.
But Twitter is reportedly telling current and prospective advertisers that the cost of doing business is going up. In fact, promoted trends may now top $120,000, according to All Things Digital.
On Thursday, Mobile Marketing Watch covered the lingering interest from Google and Facebook in a possible acquisition of Twitter, now valued between $8 and $10 billion.
Twitter executives, however, are less concerned with an acquisition and, instead, largely focused on building a big “independent company.” People familiar with the situation said the company “believes it can grow into a $100 billion company.”