Twitter Looks to Get Paid

Yesterday there were reported talks taking place that made the whole Twitter revenue mystery a little less mysterious. While nothing is imminent, just hearing about the talks that are taking place separately between Twitter, Microsoft and Google makes the social media and Internet marketing community giddy with hope. Of course, these are mere talks with no agreements in place yet. Imagine if there were, though.

Image by Matt Hamm via Flickr

So, why would it be cool to have Twitter sell some level of feed to the Googles and Bings of the world?

1. Some financial security for Twitter. At some point there will be no more investment in Twitter if they cannot generate revenue. The latest round of $100 million invested in Twitter now looks like a very shrewd move. Why I didn’t put two and two together to think that this type of deal was in the works makes me more than a little agitated, but that’s my issue isn’t it? Maybe the days of frivolous investment and outrageous and empty valuations really are over?
2. More data for marketers. Twitter’s ability to index and make their information available through search has been suspect from the start. In fact, it has been more a source of speculation than hope. Imagine all of that data going to a place (i.e. the biggest search engines on the planet) that handle the billions of pieces of real time data and make them
   available to the world for more than a few days? Pretty cool.
3. More trackable online reputation data. This proves that search engines will always be important. They will become the new libraries while social media will be the new news reporters. Both have a place in the world and the traditional models of both are dinosaurs.
4. Job security. You think the great-unwashed masses can’t handle the Internet now just wait until this happens. Jackpot!

So, I am pulling for this to happen, and my money is on it taking place sooner than later. There is no chance, for instance, that either of the sworn enemies in search will allow the other to have that kind of advantage.
Managing the amount and flow of data on the social Web is a monumental task, and fortunately it looks like Twitter is smart enough to see that they are the hunters and gatherers of this collective of publicity seekers. When Twitter grows up, and more data that actually helps marketers becomes available, things will get very interesting.