Twitter announced today that for the first time, “paid” Tweets will show up in searches. The Associated Press reports that the move to index Promoted Tweets — where Twitter users are paid to mention movies, TV shows or products in their updates — comes at a time when the microblogging site is facing questions about its ability to generate revenue.
In a blog posting, Twitter founder Biz Stone said that the company “took its time” in developing a model for monetizing Twitter but believes that Promoted Tweets will allow the company and individuals to profit on the success of the site without destroying its core value.
“Since all Promoted Tweets are organic Tweets, there is not a single ‘ad’ in our Promoted Tweets platform that isn’t already an organic part of Twitter,” Stone said. “This is distinct from both traditional search advertising and more recent social advertising. Promoted Tweets will also be timely. Like any other Tweet, the connection between you and a Promoted Tweet in real-time provides a powerful means of delivering information relevant to you at the moment.”