How to Make Money Using Twitter

Like millions of other Internet users worldwide, you may have signed up for a Twitter account. If you've been wondering how to make money using Twitter, you're in luck—there are several ways you can monetize your Twitter account. This guide will show you how.

Twitter's microblogging service has exploded in recent years and people and companies all over the world have established Twitter accounts. Due in part to Twitter's increasing popularity, advertisers have recognized the value of using Twitter as a way to promote their products or services. There are several companies with which you can sign up and sell advertising space on your Twitter profile or your tweet stream. 

• Step 1: Set up a Twitter Account

  • If you have not already done so, your first step towards making money on Twitter will be to establish a Twitter account. Doing so is quick and easy—simply go to the Twitter homepage at www.twitter.com and follow the instructions. For more detailed instructions on setting up your Twitter account.

  • Some things to keep in mind when establishing a Twitter account for monetizing purposes include:

  1. Those companies that advertise on Twitter want to reach their target audience, so setting up a Twitter account centered around a specific product or service may make your account more attractive to advertisers
  2. Try to use keywords in your Twitter account name to make it more appealing to advertisers. For example, naming your account LAHairstylist may encourage hair product companies to market their products through your Twitter stream; setting up a Twitter account with the user name FoodLover may make your account more attractive to restaurants who want to advertise on Twitter
  3. If you already have a well-established Twitter account, keep in mind that you may lose some of your followers if they become frustrated after seeing advertisements in your stream. If you don't want to take this risk, consider setting up a new account

• Step 2: Amass Twitter Followers

  • The more followers you have, the more attractive you will be to companies who use Twitter to advertise. Twitter accounts who have several thousand followers will receive higher bids from advertisers than those that only have a few dozen, since advertisers want to get their message to as many people as possible.
  • To get followers, your first step should be to send out interesting and compelling tweets to encourage people to follow you. For more tips on getting fellow twitterers to follow you, You may want to consider waiting to advertise on your Twitter account until you have established a good base of followers, since people are less likely to follow you if they see that your tweet stream consists mainly of ads.

• Step 3: Sign up With an Ad Service

  • There are a handful of companies that match prospective advertisers with Twitterers who want to monetize their account, including:

  1. Magpie
  2. Twittad
  3. adCause

  • Twittad places an advertisement on your Twitter profile page, while both Magpie and adCause insert advertisements directly into your tweet stream. To sign up for any of these services, simply go to their websites and follow the instructions provided. In most cases, you will post your Twitter profile on the site and advertisers will then bid on or purchase advertising space from you in accordance with parameters you have established.

• Conclusion

  • Once you have decided to use your Twitter account as a money-making tool, try to amass as many followers as you can to make your account more attractive to potential buyers. Keep in mind that you may lose a percentage of your followers after you begin advertising in your tweet stream. To prevent losing a lot of your followers and to continue attracting more people to follow you, ensure that you continue to send out interesting and engaging tweets, not just ads.