This strategy is part of a larger plan for the social media company to reach the election year groups and international advertisers as well.

It’s starting to look like Twitter plans to make some money.

The latest roll out is in partnership with American Express, so only Amex cardholders or merchants who accept Amex can sign-up.

In return Amex will give each buyer a $100 credit to sweeten the deal.

While the number of places available on the platform is limited for now, Twitter told AllThingsD that it will let in more buyers throughout the year in further groups of 10,000.

It shows that Twitter is serious about making money from advertising but is retaining a cautious approach, presumably so it can modify and develop the platform as it lets in more users.

The self-serve approach has worked well for Google and Facebook, so it is no surprise to see Twitter following suit, however it will have to overcome doubts about how effective its platform is.

[Via Mashable and others]

I know some of you are still skeptics as to how social media can do anything for your business, but Twitter is one of the most powerful and people-reaching tool these days.

• Optimize your page and tweets – Just as you would use optimized copy for your website, do so for your Twitter account by posting keyword rich tweets and profile information. Use target keywords on your profile page and make sure to use keywords in your Tweets.
• Optimize your Twitter Bio – This is an extension of the above rule. In search results, the bio section of your Twitter profile acts as the description metadata. You will want to make sure it is optimized to increase click-through rates.
• Link – You will responsible for most of your initial Twitter traffic when you first create your profile. Help your Twitter presence become popular by posting links to it on your main website and other social media channels. You should also include a link to your Twitter account in any new content you create. This will help your new account catch on with users.
• Link Back – This is an important part of having a Twitter account: it’s an avenue to build links to your other content. Make sure the URL to your main site is posted in your profile and tweet about any new articles or content you produce.

I’m adding a fifth tip:

Offer Advice & Tips

A lot of times when people are having problems in their work, they’ll send out a tweet asking for help. If you’ve got some spare time or knowledge in the area, offer to help them through Twitter for free. Eventually, you’ll need help and they’re more likely to help back.

Also, if it’s a potential client asking for a bit of advice or criticism, make sure you do everything you can to be the first to respond. They’ll remember you later when they need to hire a new freelancer.

[Via Social Media Today]