Comments on: In-Stream Twitter Ads: You’re Already Doing Them [Yes, You]

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[...] In-Stream Twitter Ads: You’re Already Doing Them [Yes, You] – Mark “Rizzn” [...]

By: StevieB’s Shared Items – November 24, 2009 | LostInCyberspace

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[...] In-Stream Twitter Ads: You’re Already Doing Them [Yes, You]November 23, 2009 [...]

By: Mark Dykeman

Mark Dykeman — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:04:49 +0000

Thanks for writing this post. Actually, between your post and Robert’s I feel like I can get a good handle on the sponsoring/ads situation.

By: Lavelle Mueller

Lavelle Mueller — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:28:54 +0000

That’s the best thing about all of this, the fact that there is a fairly consistent amount of respect in all of this, but that we aren’t necessarily going to leave any subject untouched, any leaf unturned. =]

I would still love to her the Scobleizer’s response to all of this, and if his slight obsession with the SuperTweet concept isn’t driving some of his nerd/moralist rage against these advertisers. =P

BTW, Thanks for the great post Rizzn.

By: Mark 'Rizzn' Hopkins

Mark 'Rizzn' Hopkins — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:11:12 +0000

I do too – the days of seething disagreement between Scoble and I are long past (I think – I only speak for myself ). When I hung out with Robert at SxSW last year, I found I just couldn’t stay mad at the guy for very long (despite some very heated disagreements when I was back at Mashable).

Still, Scoble and I have many of the same wheelhouses, so that’s part of the reason why he and I are at philosophical odds fairly often. Most of what Scoble said in his post was OK in my book, I just had to take issue with the four main points listed above.

By: Lavelle Mueller

Lavelle Mueller — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:55:26 +0000

I completely agree faryl- what I have always loved about the tech and social media industries is that everyone involved- including the developers, user base, and journalists- usually has a pretty respectful and liberal way of approaching arguments and confrontations. I would like to think that I associate myself with, and only follow the editorial content of the most intelligent and somewhat reasonable folks on the web (not the trolls and flame war spurring idiots that roam most forums and discussion boards).

I guess what I’m saying is, aren’t we all supposed to be friends? And couldn’t Robert have use a less specific example to illustrate his point, rather than doing the equivalent of throwing Pirillo under the bus?

Again, I have nothing but respect for everyone here. Just asking some questions. =]

By: faryl

faryl — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:37:23 +0000

Nice overview. People tend to react emotionally to discussions that (in the end) are often just one opinion vs. another & don’t always take the time to consider that each side of the coin has its merits.

I found this particularly interesting coming from Scoble because I seem to remember that he created some controversy by sending kindle-related tweets which included an (undisclosed) Amazon-affiliate link not that long ago. It’s unfortunate he’s not as forgiving with Chris Pirilo as others have been with him.

By: Lavelle

Lavelle — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:35:14 +0000

Points well made. I personally have never taken an issue with in-stream ads, nor the twitterers who send them. I think that full disclosure is definitely necessary though, and I appreciate that Robert mad it a point in his blog post to show how strongly he feels that your followers must know the difference between your personal opinions and the tweets you send as promotions. Editorial integrity can easily get lost in a communication platform like twitter, where fragmented bits of conversation travel far and one individual can reach millions on a whim.

I think that the way he brought Pirillo into the situation was just a bit short of classy, and maybe too direct of an attack (would it be too harsh to call it that?) on his ethics as a twitter user. Chris, I think your tweets are very interesting (often hilarious) and well rounded. I follow you just as eagerly as I follow Robert or Mark. =]

I was also considering that Robert’s extreme distaste for in-tweet advertising and sponsorship can possibly be attributed to his love for the concept of the “SuperTweet”. I don’t necessarily sway in any direction on the matter, but I think he definitely has his eyes set on a particular method of monetization for every individual and company involved with the platform. I think that maybe the best route isn’t one single method, and not a sole system devised by Evan, Biz, and Co., but maybe a combination of several systems, networks, and ideas. In tweet ads might be an essential part of that ecosystem, just as the proposed “SuperTweet” will likely be.

IMO =]

By: David Banther

David Banther — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:22:27 +0000

I think Scoble is making a mountain out of a mole hill in this case. I really don’t see what the big deal is. For Chris Pirillo, Sponsored tweets are disclosed as such, and any in-stream advertising is pretty obvious and can almost always benefit the viewer (I have discovered so many new products from him). Also there is thing a lot of people seem to forget: you can unfollow and not watch – so what’s the big deal?

By: Mark 'Rizzn' Hopkins

Mark 'Rizzn' Hopkins — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:07:03 +0000

Everyone has to find a balance – just like everyone has to find a balance of ads on their site. Too much WILL drive everyone away, but in Pirillo’s case where he brands much of them as “coupons,” you can find an audience for the ads as well, and they become a value add (just the same way many mommy bloggers have “deal blogs.”).

That part isn’t completely off base, IMO, but the way he framed it made it sound like all twitterers with in-stream ads are going to drive their followers away – which isn’t the case.

I disclaim most of my posts with the tag #spnsr, with the exception of the ones that come from TwittAds, which are disclaimed with the link: http://spon.in/xxxx. I think hashtag disclosure is good in most cases where it’s not obvious you have a major sponsor like Robert has in Rackspace.

In his case, the sponsorship is so pervasive that disclosure is redundant.