Among other options, Twitter is considering charging companies that use it for consumer feedback purposes. Such firms include Zappos, Comcast, Starbucks, GoDaddy and Amazon. It may also begin placing ads alongside search engine results.
Twitter enables users to publish “microblogs” of up to 140 characters apiece. Last month it ranked among the fastest-growing social networks — racking up 343% growth year over year. It received between $1 million and $5 million in VC funding late last year, buttressed by an investment from Amazon’s Jeff Bezos last summer.
Over the summer a firm called Yammer, which seized upon Twitter’s model and adapted it to companies seeking real-time intra-office communications, received $50,000 in funding from the TechCrunch50. The offering is subscription-based.