Twitter is growing exponentially the past couple of months in terms of site traffic, usage and membership. Because of this the number of Tweets posted on the Twitter timeline also increases. So there is a heightened need for a better “search engine” that could effectively answer users’ needs of finding the right information on Twitter.
Twitter’s native search engine which was recently added on the Twitter home page was a good effort by the Twitter engineers to provide users with a good search facility. But then, given the sophisticated needs of users who have grown accustomed to more robust search engines such as Google, Microsoft and Yahoo, talks started to surface on whether Twitter is negotiating with both Google and Microsoft for possible search partnership.
Loren reported recently (with a reference to a TechCrunch post) that Google was keen on acquiring Twitter for a more than $ 250 million valuation. But at the end of the day, the report remained a rumor.
Things became more interesting when Kara of All Things D wrote a piece mentioning that Microsoft is also interested in getting a piece of Twitter’s popularity and in fact is already also negotiating a deal with Twitter.
Google vs. Microsoft (again)
Looking at the impending battle for the right to acquire Twitter, Google has the advantage. For one, Twitter’s co-founder and CEO Evan Williams have previously struck a deal with Google when he sold Blogger. But the thing is, Evans experience with the Google-Blogger deal was less than pleasant, prompting him to leave the company later on. If Twitter is to be sold to Google, Evans would surely get out of his way to make this deal far better than the Blogger deal.
So what does Microsoft has to offer? Perhaps better than the rumored $ 250 million valuation which it can very well give, given its financial status? But the more important question is what will Microsoft do with Twitter? A Live Search-powered Twitter search engine? Certainly not something that Twitter loyalist would want to have, right? A Google-powered Twitter search engine still sounds better, that is if you don’t mind seeing Google’s paid ads running along your Twitter public timeline.
Is There Really a Cause to Fight For?
Up to now, both Microsoft and Google are still studying the whole Twitter model to know how to integrate Twitter’s famous 140-character microblogging service into both their respective web business. But given the growing popularity of Twitter, even sometimes overwhelming Facebook, expect to have a heated battle erupting soon.
Whoever gets Twitter in the end would not exactly emerge as the winner. Because whoever gets Twitter must still face the hurdles of the throngs of Twitter users that would definitely protest against this acquisition and would want to preserve the old good basic Twitter environment.
But one thing is for sure, engaging in a fight to win Twitter will not only be worth the efforts of the two parties involved, but moreso for Twitter.
If I were @ev, I wouldn’t sell for less than US$1B. but does Evan Williams really need that money now? Google partnership may be better like Youtube did back then, and then u sell when the time is right.
I wanted to share my thoughts that I posted on Mashable regarding a Microsoft ot Google ad partnership with Twitter. If google and microsoft are willing to invest in understanding the model they could make advertising in twitter both complelling as well as valuable for all involved. Some of the items I would like to see would include:
- Contextual advertising in search results. Boring but important.
- Enabling users to opt in to having ads appear in their profiles, and as part of their tweets. Keys of course would include:
– Restrictions on the types of ads the user would allow.
– Revenue share with the users that are allowing the ads to be placed on their profile/tweets.
– Tie in a service like Topify (see my blog for more info on topify) and enable the same sort of revenue sharing to occur with advertising inserted into e-mails being delivered for follows, unfollows, DMs.
While there are plenty of other ideas, no one is paying me for them. :-)
Personally, I would strike the deal with Google (as they might be an appropriate long-term buyer) but leave the contract open to me to go this route if the acquisition does not occur down the road. Of course, I like to have my cake and eat it too.
I think Twitter does have a great inside track on social marketing if they make the right investments. Here is another shameless plug for my blog where I am discussing what’s missing from Twitter and what they should put in place as a roadmap to close the loop on this hole, giving them both a great market valuation as well as real revenue. Free free to check out on blogg or you can find on Digg.
John
Twitter, a terrific tool to connect people.
Instead of letting it aquired by the “big ones” (Google or Micrsoft, as the rumors go) it would be even more valuable to sell it to its userbase!
New concept of making business, engage your customers in order to generate even greater and sustainable value for Twitter, the partnered users (as in a coop) and their business partners and stakeholders.
Seems like the webage is offering ways we should take with new courses and thoughts.
What would be the effect of Twitter being bought by the above?
Would you as Twitter users will think and act differently?
How much diversity will there be left in the web community?
Questions and answers that matter.
Cheers
Ralf
Great article. I agree that out of all this, Twitter stands to gain the most. But, they also stand to lose the most. If the twitterverse turns sour reacting to a buy-out and Twitter goes under, sure Google/Microsoft would lose money on the investment, but Twitter would lose everything. I think Twitter needs to tread lightly, and @ev knows it.
@Ralf, that is a brilliant idea. I wonder if/when it will ever happen. I hope it does, I would love to see such a system survive on the web.
I wrote about the latest round of tech-giant battles: http://www.tjkwebdesign.com/2009/04/google-facebook-microsoft-myspace/ Check it out!
TJ Kelly
Google have tough competitor…….two most powerful warriors of Internet marketing…..
I have always though that Twitter will most likely monetize it’s search so if it was aquired by Google or MSN and they monetized in this way I think it would be fine and sort of expected. Only the future will tell I suppose. It should be interesting to see how everything unfolds.
What will be done with an acquisition by Google or Microsoft, the only way I can see them truly benefiting from it is by collecting the information from users for targeted advertising, given this will this greatly affect the user base of the platform?