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Twitter Announces Ads API
1. 225 N. Michigan Ave., 8th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601 | www.ResolutionMedia.com | (P) 312.980.1600
Twitter Announces Ads API
March 2013
Background
On Feb. 20, 2013 Twitter announced the launch of its long-awaited ads
API program with five alpha partners, including Salesforce, Adobe, TBG
Digital Shift and Hootsuite. This integration will allow Resolution Media to
manage Twitter’s paid media products, namely Promoted Tweets and
Promoted Accounts, via third party technology platforms.
How it Works
An API (Application Programming Interface) enables two software
programs to speak to each other, which means Twitter’s API
announcement is the first critical step towards allowing third party
technology companies the ability to build out customized platforms for
improved ad campaign management on the Twitter platform. Until now,
running Twitter advertising campaigns was restricted to Twitter’s own ads
interface, which has limited functionality in its current state. Similar
channels, including Facebook and Google, rely on their API partners to
foster innovation in the technology space — including how ads can be
purchased, optimized and reported on via their platforms, in addition to
any user interfaces and tools they build themselves.
Twitter is not able to comment on how quickly they will allow other
partners to integrate with the API or who those partners will be, but we
expect additional partners to be announced in the near future. Due to
Resolution and Omnicom Media Group’s relationship with Twitter, Twitter
has solicited feedback from Resolution on potential future partners based
on our clients’ needs and priorities.
2. 225 N. Michigan Ave., 8th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601 | www.ResolutionMedia.com | (P) 312.980.1600
Resolution POV:
Managing through a Twitter ads API partner should provide significant
benefits:
1) Efficient Use of Resources – The technology allows for actions to be
done in minutes instead of hours, turning time that was spent doing
laborious tasks into greater opportunity to analyze results and
optimize for better performance.
2) Data Import and Export – Similar to Facebook and other API-based
social ad programs, Twitter’s API will enable bulk data exporting for
reporting and analytics purposes. This is important since serious
advertisers are interested in reporting and analyzing Twitter ad
program data alongside other media channel performance.
Although not available yet, we expect that the API will evolve in
future iterations to allow customer, media and other 3rd party
and/or 1st party client data to be imported into Twitter for
advanced targeting purposes.
3) Ad Program Innovation - By essentially outsourcing the future
development of Twitter ad program features for management and
optimization to existing social technology platform providers who
are experienced in development of API-based features across
competitors like Facebook, there will be a level of innovation and
competition (among technology providers) that should drive better
advertiser ROI, testing opportunities, and value of Twitter media
associated with other programs and channels.
4) Improved Performance – The ability to scale up and manage
campaigns in bulk while acting quickly through additional features
such as day parting and bid management should result in improved
campaign performance metrics. We expect as well that the ability
to view dimensions of campaigns such as mobile engagement, top
performing tweets across unique campaigns and targeting criteria
and more, will allow for more advanced optimization decisions that
improve performance.
5) In Depth Reporting – The tools will provide the ability to quickly pull
aggregated reports resulting in deeper levels of insights for clients
that can be acted on immediately.
3. 225 N. Michigan Ave., 8th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601 | www.ResolutionMedia.com | (P) 312.980.1600
As Twitter’s API partner set expands, we expect leading technology
platforms in the space to expand their cross-channel capabilities as well.
When relevant, Resolution will be able to activate testing and optimization
learnings across search and social in real time and provide better insights
into cross-channel performance.
Summary
Twitter’s announcement of its new advertising API has been long-awaited
and will allow third party technologies to develop platforms that will make
management of Twitter advertising products more streamlined and
effective.
Resolution believes that managing Twitter campaigns through a
technology platform will lead to more efficient use of campaign
management resources, faster and more in-depth reporting and
improved campaign performance. While there are limited partners
available to test with now, it is expected that many more partners will be
included in the near future. Resolution will be proactively recommending
testing scenarios to its clients based on their current technology stack and
overall priorities.
For more information, visit the resources below:
http://www.adexchanger.com/social-media/agencies-and-partners-
react-to-twitters-ads-api/
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/salesforcecom-launches-
social-ads-platform-for-twitter-with-new-twitter-ads-api-192061521.html
For information about Resolution, visit our website:
www.resolutionmedia.com.