Twitter targeting 2010 as its 'revenue year'

Microblogging juggernaut Twitter will focus on generating revenue in the year ahead, and may explore options including an initial public offering. "2010 is really going to be the revenue year. I don't know if we're going to be profitable, but we have plenty of time," said co-founder and creative director Biz Stone during an Oxford University event Monday. While Stone added Twitter has no plans to go on the selling block, it is exploring other options: "We want to build our own company that will last for a long time. If an IPO's the way to do that, then sure. We don't have it checked off on the calendar yet... But if there is some other way, then that would be great, too. Maybe some other new way will emerge."

Earlier this fall Twitter raised about $100 million in new funding, bringing the firm's total valuation to around $1 billion despite the absence of a discernible revenue model. Stone said Monday that Twitter plans to introduce an advertising effort in the year ahead, declining to divulge specifics but promising an approach unlike traditional web advertising models fueled by display ads and sponsored search. "Everyone's going to love it," Stone promised. "It's going to be amazing,"

There is growing concern the Twitter fad has peaked, however. According to data provided to eMarketer by Nielsen, traffic to Twitter.com was down a staggering 27.8 percent between September and October 2009, falling to 18.9 million unique visitors. However, some pundits contend the decrease in website traffic is a result of users migrating to third-party Twitter applications and mobile services.

For more on Twitter's revenue plans:
- read this Reuters article

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