The unadvertised form of advertising: "celebrities" like Kim Kardashian make big bucks on Twitter. If you think tweeting is actually personal, it is -- a $20,000 per tweet kind of personal. The "follower" can figure out which tweet is the paid ad o' the day.
Celebrity Twitter accounts include followers in the thousands -- or in certain cases like Kardashian, the millions. Try nearly 7 and a half million followers for Kim Kardashian. It's not a bad side gig: celebs are using tweets to promote products -- to the tune of millions themselves. There's even big business in bringing those tweets to the masses, via a single platform like "Sponsored Tweets" which connects businesses with celebrities. The goal: no less than a single tweet, with hopes to bring in the big bucks. The price: not exactly priceless, at the rumored ballpark of $20,000 bucks per tweet.
Advertisers simply choose their celeb of choice, then celebrities send out a corresponding tweet with an ad link. In this game, celebrities set their own price. But don't expect that price to be revealed: certain "celebrities" -- including the likes of Kim Kardashian -- have specifically hidden that tweeting price tag. For those considering the possibility of a Kardashian Twitter shout-out, to tout their business, estimates include the rumored going rate of $20,000 for a paid tweet.
Advertising businesses can choose a celebrity based on factors including "Klout score", the average cost per click, and the follower activation rate. The Klout Score is a supposed measurement of overall influence in the online sphere -- using a range from 1 to 100, the higher scores supposedly representing a wider and stronger sphere of influence over the masses, with 35 variables pertaining to the online social networking giants of Facebook and Twitter.
The Sponsored Tweets web site calls itself the ‘eBay for tweets’ -- which remains to be known as necessarily complimentary. Advertisers including Microsoft, Volvo and FOX network have utilized the site that connects celebs to businesses. Perhaps ironically, "influential" celebrity tweeters include Lindsay Lohan and Khloe Kardashian. A tweet from the likes of Lohan will run an advertiser about $3000.
Advertising Age reports that Kardashian is a “publisher” with in-stream ad company Ad.ly. Ad.ly co-founder Derek Rey previously told PRNewser that Kim Kardashian can command $10,000 per tweet. That amount is rumored to be closer to $20,000 per tweet for businesses scoping out the possibility.
According to Ad.ly, publishers are limited to one paid tweet per day. Apparently the nation can rest easy -- now the general public just has to sort out which tweet per day is paid, and which truly falls into the realm of Kardashian's personal opinion.
Despite the fact that Kardashian's Twitter feed typically includes a bounty of product mentions, the celebrity seems to deny that she’s raking in the big bucks through the social networking Twitter web site. “Am I not allowed to talk about something I like without people assuming I must have been paid to do it?,” the celeb reportedly inquired.
Perhaps no response is a better response: As FOX411 noted, a rough annual estimate -- including two weeks vacation -- would put the Kim Kardashian take at about $3.5 million.
When FOX411.com reviewed Kim Kardashian’s Twitter account for the week ending January 31 one year ago, FOX411 located tweets for eight brands: her upcoming Bebe line -- with the notation that her own line had been incorrectly spelled -- ShoeDazzle shoes, Muscle Flex Vata fitness gear, Brian Lichtenberg swimsuits, Dan Tana’s restaurant, celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson, QuickTrim weight loss supplements and the major CVS pharmacy chain.
FOX411 noted that, if all of them were in fact Ad.ly clients, Kardashian would have racked up a cool $70,000 in just seven Tweets. Not bad for a day's work, or seven days -- particularly when it involves just 140 characters per day.
FOX411 noted the following Kardashina tweets ending the week of January 31, 2010:
"# I'm on my way to Century City wearing a dress from my new BeBe line that comes out next month! And ShoeDazzle shoes of course!" (this Bebe's got two caps)
"So exhausted, had a photo shoot today for Muscle Flex Vata fitness gear, and just got a much needed mani pedi. Now off to a fittning! (that would apparently be "fitting" -- if it was a paid tweet, perhaps there should a discount involved)"
"Another sneak peek from my shoot! Love this Brian Lichtenberg swim suit! SUPER SEXY & EDGY!"
"Excited for my Dan Tana's dinner date with my girls BrittGastineau and CarlaDiBello"
"I was practically sleep walking through that workout but Gunnar Peterson pulled me through it! Feels so good after!"
"About 2 hit the gym right now in my sassy VATA gym gear! U have 2 check out their workout gear www. muscleflexVATA.com LOVE IT!"
"Have u guys seen QuickTrim at CVS? Its now available at all of their pharmacies!"
“I want my fans to know what products, gadgets, foods, clothes and beauty products I like and I love sharing all that with my fans,” was Kardashian's defensive response according to FOX411.
It would seem Kim Kardashian loves sharing with her fans a lot, an awful lot -- and who wouldn't, while concurrently raking in the millions. Kardashian's rates have reportedly now doubled in 2011. If the celebrity were to utilize one paid tweet per day through Ad.ly at $20,000 dollars per tweet, her annual take would be about 7 million per year -- instead of just 3.5 million.
But perhaps Kardashian's only viewed as defensive over paid tweets since she considers them chump change: an endorsement by Kim Kardashian is said to be worth about a million to the "celebrity". Kardashian seems to have made a wise choice in not following in her dad's footsteps -- after all, who says being an attorney is one of the most lucrative careers?