Twitter to the average Joe is just another social network used to keep in touch with friends and family but in the eyes of major brands, news outlets, celebrities and influencers, it's an important marketing tool that shouldn't be overlooked.

Key to any successful marketing campaign is a good set of analytics. Twitter is well aware of this and the value that quality data brings which is why the company is considering offering a premium version of its popular TweetDeck dashboard application used to managed Twitter accounts.

The Verge is reporting that Twitter recently began distributing surveys and a mock-up of what a paid version of TweetDeck could look like complete with new analytics, alerts regarding breaking news and information about what an account's followers are tweeting about.

Twitter acquired TweetDeck in mid-2011 for more than $40 million.

A spokesperson for Twitter told the site that they regularly conduct user research to gather feedback about people's Twitter experience and to better inform their product investment decisions. The rep added that they are conducting the survey to assess the interest in a new, more enhanced version of TweetDeck.

A source reportedly familiar with the matter said Twitter hasn't yet started developing the service but is simply seeking some direction from the survey. The fee reportedly being discussed is $19.99 (presumably per month).

Assuming Twitter does move forward with development, the service could provide a much-needed revenue stream for the struggling company. Growth has slowed to a crawl as of late and at the very least, Twitter needs to give its core base a good reason to hang around.

Screenshot courtesy Andrew Tavani