Twitter Online Ad-platform for Small Businesses Launched with American Express

Online social networking giant Twitter has teamed with American Express to launch a new online ad-platform for small businesses. The platform would come online in late March.

According to American Express, the first 10, 000 eligible businesses that register will receive US $100 in free Twitter advertisements on the platform.

Twitter is also inviting American Express card members and merchants to try the new advertising solution for small businesses. The notice is already online on the sign-up page of Twitter.

The online self-service advertising platform would initially be available only to U.S. companies who have never advertised on Twitter. The program is open for American Express merchants and card holders who send news and updates through Twitter.

Right now, a beta program is being run by Twitter with selected advertisers. Promoted tweets are expected to be charged on a “cost-per-engagement” basis, so that businesses have to pay only when a user “retweets, replies to, clicks or favorites” a Promoted Tweet. The accounts would also feature in Twitter searches and “who to follow” recommendations by Twitter.

The recent developments come in the wake of acquiring Dasient by Twitter. Dasient is an internet security firm which had launched a service to protect advertisement networks and publishers from malicious ads. Dasient had launched its services in 2010.

The acquisition of Dasient, and launching of the online ad-platform for small businesses are in line with Twitter’s policies to increase revenue streams from advertising.