Twitter Unveils Mobile Ads And Better Brand Pages

Twitter unveiled a new site design today during an event at the site of its future headquarters. In addition to a more robust mobile experience and enhanced profile pages, the revamp includes some key marketing implications:  

• ads running on Twitter's mobile app
• more robust brand pages
• Promoted Trend and Promoted Account units will appear on the page's left-hand side instead of the right
• access to all interactions a user has had with a company's customer service or marketing team via icon-driven features

Many industry observers would say that five-year-old Twitter has typically lagged in developing its paid marketing platform. So today's development could mark a significant turn for the better when it comes to the San Francisco-based tech firm and its prospective advertisers.

Research firm eMarketer estimates global ad revenues at Twitter will grow 210 percent to $139.5 million in 2011, up from $45 million in 2010, which was the company's first full year of selling ads. In 2012, eMarketer estimates, Twitter will earn $260 million in worldwide ad revenue, up 86.3 percent over 2011.

So far, Twitter advertisers have largely focused on building an audience of followers. According to a recent ad sales memo, followers on the site cost between $2.50 and $4 to acquire.