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Twitter uses MoPub for big push in mobile ads

Twitter aims to draw in marketers and developers with a new ad service that promotes mobile apps far beyond users' timelines.

Don Reisinger
CNET contributor Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
Don Reisinger
2 min read

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The new ad feature in action on Twitter. Twitter

Twitter is making a significant push into mobile ads, thanks to its mobile advertising exchange MoPub.

Twitter on Thursday said it's new "mobile app promotion suite" makes it easier for advertisers to promote their mobile apps both on Twitter and through the thousands of mobile apps that use MoPub to serve their ads. According to Twitter, MoPub serves 130 billion ads to over 1 billion devices each month.

Mobile ad revenue has been a sore spot in Twitter's revenue stream. It was clear when Twitter acquired MoPub last year for $350 million that the company had high hopes for using the ad exchange to boost it's mobile ad revenue. Twitter only secured 2.4 percent of the global mobile ad market last year, according to eMarketer. Google and Facebook, meanwhile, combined to capture nearly 70 percent.

Twitter's new app promotion suite will be offered through its Twitter Ads page. For advetisers, it includes targeting and measuring tools, as well as a native ad unit that, according to Twitter, combines the best of Twitter Card and Promoted Tweets. Users can click on the ads and download the promoted applications from Apple's App Store and Google Play directly from their Twitter timeline. Twitter also said marketers will be able to set up campaigns that run across devices the MoPub mobile ad exchange reaches from the Twitter Ad page.

Twitter has been testing the service with some early beta partners, including music services Spotify and Deezer. For now, the offering is available only in the US and is in private beta. Twitter said more integration between its social network and MoPub is forthcoming.

CNET has contacted Twitter for additional comment on its mobile ad service. We will update this story when we have more information.

Twitter shares are up 3.6 percent, or $1.60, to $46.02 following the announcement.