How do you persuade people to pay for something they're used to getting for free? This is the problem faced by many service providers in the internet world, with both Twitter and Times Online trying to solve it in different ways.
Twitter's 'promoted tweets' ad system has been met with a mixture of relief and caution. Many are pleased to hear that it will finally be monetizing itself, whilst others are already complaining about floods of unwanted ads clogging up their feed.
So will the new ad system work? Well, according to some estimates, Twitter's owners could pocket a sweet $100 million from sponsors. But these figures still rely on a small proportion clicking on the sponsored tweets. And therein lies the problem...
How do you charge for news?
For years now, newspapers have been watching their circulation and profits dry up as people bin their papers for good and get their news fix online for free. Whilst the leading broadsheet websites attract over 10 million readers every month, not enough visitors are clicking on the ads to keep them in the green.
Rupert Murdoch has been on the warpath blaming Google for allegedly stealing his content whilst defending his decision to throw up a paywall around Times Online.
Murdoch argues that "when they've got nowhere else to go they'll start paying." But the problem for Murdoch is that there are plenty of places people can get mainstream news for free.
But David, what's this got to do with marketing?
Cynicism over Twitter's ad system and the Times Online's paywall both highlight the problem brands face when it comes to advertising online. The fact is that people aren't clicking on ads because they're not interested in or have become oblivious to them (admittedly, people do click on ads in the search results but that's when they're actively looking for a product or service).
What Twitter and the news portals also highlight, however, is that people are using the internet to find content they find interesting or useful. So, you're your online marketing budget could be better spent on providing engaging content rather than pouring it into ad clicks.
After all, the internet is a platform for finding information, not advertising. Which is bad news for Twitter and Murdoch, but good news if you're a business wanting to engage with content hungry customers.
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