American microblogging and social networking service Twitter is experimenting with a new way to showcase tweets that include links to eCommerce platforms, reports suggest.
The redesigned tweet card features a prominent “Shop” button, description of the product and other details such as name and price. The feature was first spotted by social media consultant Matt Navarra. He also shared screenshots of the old and new eCommerce feature on Twitter. According to Mr. Navarra, the feature was available on Android.
New experiment
Confirming the new experiment, Twitter said that the redesigned tweet format could also serve as advertisements. Another objective is to tap the organic tweets that mention products or brands in their tweets.
Twitter’s experiments with shopping features displays its efforts to tap into the eCommerce demand
The new feature comes after Twitter said it had planned to double its revenues and user base to 315 million by 2023. The plan includes the rollout of new features and products at a relatively faster pace.
The company also announced a “Super-Follow” feature that allows users to charge their followers for access to additional content. The feature will release later this year. The company is also betting big on Clubhouse-like Spaces audio service and longer-form content via Revue, a newsletter publishing service Twitter bought last month.
Focus on eCommerce
During the company’s investor day conference, Twitter had mentioned its eCommerce focused features.
Bruce Falck Revenue Lead Twitter
“We know people come to Twitter to interact with brands and discuss their favorite products. In fact, you may have even noticed some businesses already developing creative ways to enable sales on our platform. This demand gives us confidence in the power of combining real-time conversation with an engaged and intentional audience. Imagine easily discovering, and quickly purchasing, a new skincare product or trendy sneaker from a brand you follow with only a few clicks.”
At the conference, held virtually, Twitter’s policy chief Vijaya Gadde also reaffirmed the company’s support for an open internet. Internationally, Twitter faces challenges in India, a rapidly growing market with plans to require that social media companies erase certain content and coordinate with law enforcement.
