The co-founder of Twitter Biz Stone has confirmed that Twitter plans to charge businesses for extra services. There are few details or dates. But that’s the question in all of our minds - especially the investors who put $20 million into Twitter and I assume want to see a return.
No doubt Twitter has proven it’s value - TechCrunch wrote that Dell made a million over the holidays by using Twitter to tell people about discounts and sales.
There are said to be anywhere from 4 million to 6 million people using Twitter (LinkedIn.com is said to have over 20 million users and turn a profit). The problem with monetizing social networks is that people don’t go there to buy, but to communicate. Plus, they’re used to getting everything free. Even Dell’s VP was quoted as saying that Twitter better keep it simple and inexpensive if they do plan to charge.
Others are making money off Twitter. There are services like Ad Cause or affiliates (controversial) but what about Twitter itself?
All I know is that the folks at Twitter seems to be taking their time, and their investors seem awfully patient and generous in this climate. They don’t seem too worried but say a plan is coming soon. In the meantime people are building services and charging for them (like Twitterific).
Twitter is now the third-largest social network says Compete - and still growing. The networks we’ve built on Twitter are valuable to us, but how valuable? Will people migrate to another free service if Twitter charges?
I would pay as a cost of doing business. My cell phone plan charges me $5 a month for text messaging and I rarely text for business. After a few large bills I gladly signed up for the subscription plan. I’m in a habit of texting (and Twittering), so I pay.
I would pay to use Twitter, would you? What business services would be valuable enough that you would pay for them?
译文:
Twitter即将收费服务？
Twitter的创始人之一比孜•斯通已经证实 Twitter 计划对一些额外的服务收费。虽然很少的细节和数据，但是这是我们很多人一直在脑海中的疑问——特备是投资两千万的人，我估计他们需要见到收益。
对Twitter证实的自身价值来说，那是毫无疑问的。——TechCrunch 声称一些信息落后的地区也可以通过使用Twitter来宣传折扣以及销售信息来赚钱。
据说，Twitter 拥有四到六百万的用户(据说LinkedIn.com已经有两千万的用户并赢利). 交际网络的收费的问题是人们不到那里去买东西，而是去那里交流而且他们习惯于免费利用里面的资源。甚至Dell’s VP说如果Twitter要收费的话，尽可能保证他的简易以及廉价。
还有一些企业利用Twitter来赚钱，如Ad Cause和affiliates（这个有争议），但是Twitter本身呢？
据我所知，Twitter的用户似乎过得很悠闲自在，他们的投资者在这方面显得特别的耐心以及慷慨。他们看起来并不着急，只是说计划即将进行。与此同时，正如Twitterific一样开始收费服务。
而今Twitter是世界上第三大交际网络，而且正在发展中。我们在Twitter上建设的网络对我们十分有价值，但有多大的价值呢？假如Twitter收费的话，这些用户会不会转移到别的免费服务上去呢？
我会把交着笔费用当作投资成本。我的移动电话每月花我五美元的信息费而我很少利用短信来做生意。在看一些大的广告后，我十分高兴地订了这个服务。我有发短信以及使用Twitter的习惯，所以我订了这个服务。
我将会继续使用Twitter，你会吗？什么样的商业服务足以让你心甘情愿花钱呢？