GigaOm.com reports that CoTweet, a Twitter management tool used by major companies like McDonald’s, Microsoft, Ford, Dell and Pepsi, has been purchased by email marketer Exact Target for an undisclosed sum. This move could create an interesting intersection of social media and traditional email-based marketing and might give some clues as to the future of monetizing social media.
Exact Target creates “permission based” Web campaigns for companies like Expedia, Home Depot, Gannett Co. and Wellpoint Inc. The majority of the company’s outreach for clients is done through email; its acquisition of a Twitter tool signals that it is interested in having a stronger social media presence.
The deal was important enough to warrant comment from Twitter COO Dick Costolo, who said “this acquisition is strong validation that valuable, sustainable businesses are emerging from the Twitter ecosystem. An ExactTarget and CoTweet combination should lead to even further digital marketing innovation through use of the Twitter platform.”
CoTweet offers a Twitter management tool that allows marketing executives from large companies to control Twitter feeds from a single page, making collaboration easier — particularly with larger projects.