Companies aim to profit from Twitter

Twitter hasn't been around long, but it's popularity is growing rapidly. While it has been an instant hit with individuals looking to microblog socially, companies are now getting in on the act, by using Twitter to broadcast products and services.

Free promotion is always appealing, but this is especially true in a down economy. Advertisements now appear alongside Twitter search results, and companies on Twitter are even tweeting their ads to users who mention keywords related to their business in a post, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Much like the early version of Facebook, people are wondering how Twitter's business model is sustainable--and how the program will take full advantage of it's growing network. Twitter's growing number of corporate users may hint at how the service could become profitable and live up to the $255 million value placed on it by Institutional Venture Partners.

For more:
- read the WSJ article

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