Alert Blog Reviews

It looks like Twitter is gearing up for a big year as they announce several (as in around 10) new hires to start the new year. While official numbers of total employees are tough to come by (last I saw put it in the range of 150 but I will not stand by the accuracy of that number) it is obvious that Twitter is looking to have a big year. Let’s call it Twitter’s “Year of Revenue”. That’s usually what we talk about when it comes to the service anyway right? Louis Gray tells about these hires and specifically of one that is very strategic. Anytime Twitter brings on a former Google lawyer then you know they are up to something. Twitter’s pedigree is getting increasingly rich at the expense of Google and other Silicon Valley tech titans. With the holidays behind us, the microblogging powerhouse is starting the new year with more new faces at its San Francisco headquarters. Among them is Bakari Brock, most recently an in house lawyer for YouTube and Google focused on music, video and syndication. Brock, whose LinkedIn profile shows him as corporate counsel at Google, starting in 2007, was heavily quoted in late 2008 when the video service introduced e-commerce capabilities enabling customers to purchase from partners including iTunes and Amazon, and his comments were included in publications such as the New York Times and GigaOM site NewTeeVee. Last year Google was the ‘victim’ of Twitter’s need for legal expertise as well . While probably flattered one would think that losing high profile, likely high dollar and highly visible legal talent is not how Google would like to get the new year started. Some of the background of new hires on the Twitter team include another former Googler, a ex-ning staffer and folks from Cloudera, TiVo, Bebo and VMWare. Add this to an expansion of the Twitter family tree following the acquisition of MixerLabs before Christmas and one would think that “It’s beginning to look a lot like business” (sing that to the tune of “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas” for those wishing the holidays were still here). So let’s go a step further on this one and see what the bold prognosticators among MP readers are predicting for Twitter in 2010. What does the need for more legal firepower say about what might be next?

Link:
Twitter Adds to Its Ranks

Biz Stone, Twitter co-founder of Twitter was holding court for reporters in the UK and started to talk about all the things that Twitter followers obsess over including the big one: revenue. Stone said that an IPO is not OOTQ (out of the question) but it’s also not on the front burner. In fact, he said something that is the truth but comes off a little strange (possibly arrogant?) considering how most of the rest of the planet is struggling. Reuters reports Twitter, the social internet firm that tracks trends through individuals’ updates of events around them, may eventually go to the stock market for funding if necessary, its co-founder Biz Stone said. The three-year-old company was already making some revenue and would concentrate on that next year. “2010 is really going to be the revenue year. I don’t know if we’re going to be profitable, but we have plenty of time,” Stone said on Monday. Wow, the sense of urgency is overwhelming. Stone also stated that there is no interest in selling the company. So 2010 is the ‘Year of Revenue’ for Twitter. Profits schmofits. How is this revenue going to occur? Advertising apparently. But it won’t be your father’s internet advertising either. Biz tells us so much without actually saying anything. Stone declined to give detail of how Twitter would introduce advertising next year on its site to its users, but hinted again it would be different from traditional forms of internet advertising, which include display ads and sponsored search. “Everyone’s going to love it. It’s going to be amazing,” he said when asked about the dangers of its tens of millions of visitors taking exception to the move. So we have some amazing advertising opportunities to look forward to. Any thoughts on what those might be? Let’s hear it.

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Twitter, IPO and Advertising

Speaking at a Nesta panel this morning in London, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone stated that long-rumored premium corporate accounts for the most popular microblogging service will come by year’s end. Although business accounts have long been a source of speculation for the site’s monetization plans, it’s not true that all business accounts will be charged for using the service. Instead, the premium accounts will feature additional analytics data and enhanced features. Back in August, they said they were in the first phases of rolling out these accounts. Also on the panel, celebritwit Stephen Fry criticized the move. According to Clickz : He . . . said he didn’t intend to be “anti-commercial,” but that if Twitter becomes “annoying to users” and there was “a sense of being guided by a big corporate brother,” the company risks alienating its user base. Which, of course, is a good point. Fry also asked about the possibility of display ads (specifically annoying banners), which Stone dismissed: “the plan has always been to create a [revenue] model that would be native to Twitter.” What do you think? Are you interested in a premium account? Do you think Twitter will ever cave on display ads?

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Twitter Premium Accounts Coming by Year’s End

The title says it all. Twitter has offered its list function and now there are widgets to go with it. Widgets and you; perfect together. This is a good thing for folks looking to add more and more to their blogs. Considering how many blogs look these days it may require ditching something else that makes your blog cool because there is only so much room for stuff and things on your blog unless of course you are concentrating on that silly content idea. Here’s the gist of it though as described by TechCrunch . The List Widget is exactly what you’d expect: A widget that you can place on your blog that displays a list of your choosing. One nice thing is that this can be a list you made or one any user has made (that is public). If you simply type in a user’s name, it will show their lists in a drop down menu. You then give the list a title, a caption, customize its look and feel, and you’re good to go. I can see this being pretty cool especially on a local level. While many will concentrate on using someone else’s lists who are famous because they want to be cool it would actually be a neat function to try to create a real community feel on the local level for the little guy. Anytime you can customize and pare down the size of the Internet (and Twitter in particular) to a more manageable, and Lord forbid, usable version there is at least some cause for celebration. It certainly looks easy enough to put together. So who would you have on your list?

Continued here:
Twitter, Lists and Widgets