Will Twitter Bet on ‘Promoted Tweets’ Pay Off?

The popular micro-blogging site, with its massive 140-character network, announced today a plan to roll out the first "Promoted Tweets" intended to provide the company an ad-based revenue stream. Corporate partners including Best Buy, Bravo, Red Bull, Sony Pictures, Starbucks, and Virgin America are all among the first to team up with Twitter. You can get the basic idea from the Starbucks mock-up above. Read the Twitter blog announcing the move today HERE. Embedded below is John Donvan's original report, an instant classic from February 26, 2009, "'Tweet' Like a Bird: Your Guide." Not only is the segment a thorough profile of a company on the rise, but Donvan asks Twitter co-founder Biz Stone and CEO Evan Williams outright, at the tail-end of the piece, if the upstart was turning a profit. At the time, the pair's answer — despite taking off seemingly overnight? "No." Only time will tell for sure, but tonight we want to know what you think: Will the promoted Tweets provide a revenue stream? Or cause the Twitter flock to fly away? Tell us what you think.