A lingering question has been: “What is the next step in Twitter’s monetization strategy?”. This question has now been answered: Twitter has announced that they’re bringing e-commerce to their Android and iOS apps.
A “small number of users” will begin seeing tweets with a ‘buy’ button from a select group of Twitter accounts in the coming weeks. This button will allow users to buy products with a few clicks. Users will only have to enter payment information one time. After that, Twitter will store the information if the user allows. Twitter says this personal information is “encrypted and safely stored”.
+9 Mistakes Musicians Make On Twitter
The initial test group of 26 accounts includes Death From Above 1979, The New Pornographers, Wiz Khalifa, Kiesza, and (RED). Twitter tells Ad Age that additional partners will be added in the fourth quarter of this year. Twitter worked with Fancy, Gumroad, Musictoday, and Stripe to build this functionality.
Twitter says: “Users will get access to offers and merchandise they can’t get anywhere else“. The offers and merchandise will have to be really good to motivate users to buy in-app.
Nina Ulloa covers breaking news, tech, and more. Follow her on Twitter: @nine_u
Whoa, this could turn Twitter into the next iTunes — or better!
Imagine a one-click shop below a short song trailer, directly in your tweets!
teens and twenty somethings don’t care about ‘buy’ buttons. people in their 30’s and 40’s are jaded and lead busy lives. seems like a desperate attempt to boost the twitter stock price and make investors happy. twitter IS a good global communication tool, but trying to sell products within the noise is going to be tough. especially if you’re a musician trying to sell a song or album. this add-on won’t hurt twitter per say, but the click-thru/purchase rate will be minimal at best.
Solutions like Gumroad and Selz already provide an easy way to sell via Twitter using Product Cards http://www.agencypost.com/7-powerful-tips-selling-digital-products-twitter/ However, storing the credit card will increase the convenience of buying and make it more like iTunes or Google. It would be good to see quickly Twitter expanding the list of partners.
Title correction: Bands can now attempt to sell products on Twitter
Because nobody’s using Twitter — right? 🙂