eMarketer: Twitter users and bloggers open to more than earned media

According to a survey made in US by social media company IZEA showed that more than 50% of the Twitter users, blog writers and other social media publishers already monetized their activities, and almost a third more wanted to. Overall, 71.3% had been offered some kind of incentive, like cash, free products or coupons, for a blog post or tweet promoting a brand.

The survey showed that most sponsorships were direct compensation for a specific post or series of posts, but about half of respondents had also been offered free product without a requirement to write about it. Blog posts and Twitter updates were the most common venues for sponsored social media activity.

The social media publishers surveyed valued their efforts at an average of $179 per blog post and $124 per tweet, and marketers that want to form relationships with these content creators should note that they prefer cash, eMarketer.com writes.

Social media writers also consider acceptable to receive free products, although they dislike discounts and coupons .

On the other hand, PQ Media estimated in May 2010 that $56.8 million would be spent on social media sponsorships in the US, most of which would be in the form of noncash compensation.