News organizations, like everyone else, have something to sell and they’re increasingly finding fresh ways to sell it.
Take the Associated Press. This 19th century “wire service” is now using its official Twitter account as an advertising platform. According to Reuters, Samsung Electronics is the first sponsor on the @AP account for breaking news, and the two partners are using the Consumer Electronics Show to launch their new agreement.
SPONSORED TWEET: Stay up to date on what’s trending live from CES 2013 at bit.ly/V4uqA0 #SamsungCES
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 7, 2013
AP–with 1.5 million Twitter followers–did not disclose financial details of the arrangement, but Reuters reports that only 22 percent of AP’s revenue comes from member fees. Photo licensing, advertising on its news application AP Mobile and YouTube channel are other revenue streams.
Reuters also states that Twitter’s terms-of-service allow for third-party agreements (which, interestingly, denies it any of the Sponsored Tweet revenue) as long as the endorsement tweets are individually and manually sent – not as part of an automated ad engine.
