In the heyday of Internet email marketing, a one to three percent “click-through” rate was considered acceptable. Today, with Twitter offering an instantaneous version of the e-mail blast, how does the service compare? Especially when celebrity accounts with large follower counts are doing the blasting?

AP business writer Christina Rexrode has a rare, specific answer today. After leading with examples such as Snoop Dogg and Tori Spelling, she passes on some intriguing info from the client side:

Dan Smith, vice president of marketing for the website CampusLIVE, which helps advertisers connect with college students… paid Lindsay Lohan about $3,500 for one tweet with link: ‘These challenges for college kids on #CampusLIVE are SO addicting!’

The post to Lohan’s 2.6 million fans drove about 4,500 clicks to the website, Smith said. But he also said he wasn’t sure if he’d use her again…

One percent of 2.6 million is 26,000. Smith got a little less than one-fifth of that, earning a click-through ratio of 0.17 percent. On the other hand, paying about 77 cents per click ($3,500 divided by 4,500 clicks) is in line with some Google AdWords fees and leading email marketing firm rate cards.