Twitter gives in to advertisers with 'Promoted Trend' feature

As the animators of Disney-Pixar's anticipated blockbuster – Toy Story 3 – hit the red carpet at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, those with their eyes glued to screens of a different kind noticed something new happening on Twitter.

'Promoted Trend' – which ran in tandem with the launch of the film – saw the phrase 'Toy Story 3' become the first paid topic to make its way into trending feeds.

Featured just under the site's regular Trending Topics list, 'Promoted Trend' appears whether you are searching for local or global trends and – just like other popular topics – features a list of tweets from users should visitors choose to click through.

According to Twitter's FAQ on promoted tweets:

“Like Trending Topics, Promoted Trends are already trending on Twitter but haven't yet made their way in to the Trending Topics list. Promoted Trends are clearly marked as “Promoted”. If a topic isn't already being talked about on Twitter, it cannot be a Promoted Trend.”

Toy Story 3's decision to snap up the first Promoted Trend is thought to be working promotional wonders as Twitter users retweeted the trend in their droves; generating even more interest.

Meanwhile, critics of the new feature hit out claiming that the opportunity for advertisers to create Trending Topics detracts from the Twitter community's power to decide what is and what is not popular.