Following in the footsteps of Pinterest, social media juggernaut Twitter now plans to introduce product and place pages that will allow its users to discover and purchase products directly from its app.
According to a June 22 Tech Bulletin article, the micro-blogging site will now collect information about certain products, including the things users tweet about the products, and give users the option to buy the product via a “buy” button.
These products will appear in users’ timelines much like other sponsored tweets and advertisements. When a user clicks on the product, they will be taken to a screen that shows videos, images and descriptions of the product — including tweets from other users who’ve bought it.
Twitter’s move is only natural, considering that four out of five consumers now shop on their smartphones — and the Twitter app is one of the most widely-used smartphone apps. By allowing users to purchase products directly from Twitter, brands and consumers are brought even closer together, said Twitter Product Manager Amaryllis Fox.
“Every month, millions of people Tweet about what they love: products they buy, places they visit, books they are reading or vacations they are planning,” Fox said. But it can be challenging to find and engage with the most relevant Tweets, images and videos about products and places when you are looking for them.”
At the moment, Twitter doesn’t plan to earn any money from these product pages; however, in the future, the company may take a percentage of each purchase.
Another interesting aspect to Twitter’s push into online shopping is its Collections, which will be a way for brands and celebrities to group products together and suggest them to their followers, the Tech Times reported. When Twitter launches this feature, 41 individuals and brands will be curating their own Collections, from the Disney Store and Hallmark to Demi Lovato and LeBron James-endorsed Nike products.
As Twitter looks toward the massive online shopping market as a way to boost its appeal and and revenue, both consumers and brands can benefit in big ways as well.