Twitter says self-serve ad platform yet to come

Yesterday, internet marketers were buzzing about whether or not Twitter is testing a self-serve ad platform. Now, whether the platform accurately described as a “self-service” is up for debate, and Twitter execs say it's not self-serve.

ClickZ reports that insiders at the social site have said “a self-serve ad platform for running bid-based ad campaigns does indeed exist.” But Twitter claims the self-serve platform is not the one currently being tested.

Reports indicate that the supposed self-serve platform users were chattering about yesterday lets marketers create Promoted Tweets and Promoted Account campaigns. Both of these ad options aim to help users gain followers, and ads are targeted according to search keywords and users' interests.

Twitter officials have publicly denied testing a self-serve ad platform. They said via @twitterglobalpr, “Reports that Twitter is testing a self-serve ad platform are inaccurate. We plan to test our self-serve ad product later this year.”

Yet, others think microblogging officials are failing to define a “self-serve” platform in a way that the broader online marketing community agrees on. Clix Marketing CEO David Szetela, who is testing the debated system in beta, told Clickz, “Twitter is splitting hairs over the definition of what a self-serve platform is.”

MediaPost reports that Szetela argues he is able to control ad parameters himself using the platform, and, thus, it is self-serve. He makes this claim even as Twitter spokespeople deny a self-service aspect. Szetela told ClickZ he believes Twitter won't call this platform self-serve simply because, “unlike [Google] AdWords, an advertiser cannot log in and create an account automatically.” He speculates that this is a move on Twitter’s part to maintain control.

Whether this is indeed a self-service platform or whether such a platform will soon develop for Twitter, marketers may want to follow news about new ad opportunities on the microblogging site. As Brafton has reported, Twitter advertising is expected to exceed $150 million this year.