Super Chirp Launches Freemium Twitter Model
Get paid to tweet! Yesterday Super Chirp was launched as a tool for twitter users to get paid for their content stream. The application allows twitter users to send direct messages to people who pay to subscribe. Adding new vocabulary, a ‘chirp’ is a direct message sent via twitter to a paying subscriber. Any twitter user can sign up for Super Chirp with his or her existing twitter account (unlike twitpub), and set a monthly price between $0.99 and $9.99. Subscribers pay the small monthly fee for a stream of information. Super Chirp keeps a cut of 30%, leaving 70% for the publisher.
We have touched upon twitter’s monetization before with 77 Ways Twitter Could Make Money. Super Chirp illustrates how 3th party apps are monetizing twitter’s free service by offering paid premiums. Why does twitter refuse to enter the arena? From a user perspective, Super Chirp is another new tool for ‘prosumers’ and organizations to earn money. Think of celebrities (f.e. Britney Spears), stock tips, “the funniest guy on twitter”, horoscopes, charity, authority bloggers, early info… Do you have something unique to sell in small messages?
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June 11th, 2009 at 21:48
Isn’t this a “middle man” model? SuperChirp are just inserting themselves between the reader and the publisher.
It seems to be hugely vulnerable to Twitter itself remaining benign. Unless Twitter is taking a cut from SuperChirp.
It looks to me at first glance that SuperChirp either need to launch Value Add Services or else this is just money making operation till the model is challenged.
I’m happy to be challenged on this view, perhaps I’ve missed something.
June 11th, 2009 at 23:16
Campbell, indeed. I would be surprised if Twitter didn’t get involved or challenge Super Chirp’s model at some stage. Let’s first see how it takes off. What do you think people are most likely to pay for from celebrities to stock tips, “the funniest guy on twitter”, horoscopes, charity, authority bloggers, early info, or none at all?
June 11th, 2009 at 23:58
Ummm well I’d be a little sceptical about people paying much at all. Unless all quality sources of info start using Superchirp then the leakage of free information will mean there isn’t a compelling reason for people to pay. Besides why would I pay to follow a celebrity when its not always the celebrity thats twittering?
I personally wouldn’t pay for content via twitter but some people may. I would think one feasible idea may be to provide real time infomration from authorative bloggers to paid subscribers and provide non paying subscribers the same info but delayed. This leverages the reason for twitters which are instant infomration bites.
Just my 1.7 cents worth
September 28th, 2009 at 07:59
i just love Twittering compared to blogging. i was a blog addict and now i am a Twitter addict.