Twitter announced yesterday that they’re testing out a new ‘buy’ button. The Twitter new buy button will allow users to make purchases directly from their iOS or Android Twitter apps. When users click the ‘buy’ button in a tweet, they will be prompted to fill in their payment and shipping information (which is then attached to their account), and make the purchase. The functionality is not available as of yet in Canada, it has only been rolled out to some users in the United States.
Twitter’s head of commerce, Nathan Hubbard, told Mashable that this functionality was in the making ever since he was hired from Ticketmaster last year. The key differentiators between Twitter’s ‘buy’ button and other social networks’ ventures into e-commerce have to do with Twitter’s underlying functionality. Hubbard differentiates Twitter from other social networks by saying that its real-time capabilities and presence of mass influencers will keep it ahead of the curve when it comes to e-commerce. This is especially true with the new Twitter new buy button, which will likely redefine how products are purchased directly within the platform.
Twitter’s penetration of the mobile market could make this new feature a very enticing offer for marketers. It’s projected that by 2017, 87% of US Twitter users will access it through mobile devices. The mobile arena is a very important one for Twitter, it accounted for 81% of their revenue last year. That being said, Facebook is still the top mobile app by reach with 77.6% penetration among iOS and Android smartphone users. And they announced they were testing a ‘buy’ button back in July, so Twitter may have some catching up to do.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on how brands are using Twitter new buy button in their marketing campaigns. You can do so too by following some of the initial accounts that Twitter is partnering with:
- Beartooth (@beartoothband)
- Brad Paisley (@bradpaisley)
- Burberry (@burberry)
- Dan+Shay (@DanAndShay)
- Death From Above 1979 (@dfa1979)
- Demi Lovato (@ddlovato)
- DonorsChoose (@DonorsChoose)
- Eminem (@eminem)
- GLAAD (@glaad)
- GLIDE (@GlideSF)
- Global Citizen (@GlblCtzn)
- The Home Depot (@HomeDepot)
- Hunter Hayes (@HunterHayes)
- Kiesza (@kiesza)
- Keith Urban (@keithurban)
- The Nature Conservancy (@nature_org)
- Megadeth (@Megadeth)
- Mike Stud (@mike_stud)
- Panic! At The Disco (@panicatthedisco)
- Pharrell (@pharrell)
- Paramore (@paramore)
- (RED) (@RED)
- Ryan Adams (@TheRyanAdams)
- Soundgarden (@soundgarden)
- The New Pornographers (@TheNewPornos)
- twenty one pilots (@twentyonepilots)
- Wiz Khalifa (@wizkhalifa)
- 9/11 Day (@911Day)
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Frequently Asked Questions
When will the Twitter New Buy Button be available to all users?
Currently, the Twitter New Buy Button is being tested with a select group of users in the United States and is not yet available in Canada. Twitter has not specified a full rollout date for the feature.
How does the Twitter New Buy Button work?
Once a user clicks on the “buy” button in a tweet, they are prompted to fill in their payment and shipping details. These details are saved to their Twitter account for faster future purchases.
Which platforms will support the Twitter New Buy Button?
The Twitter New Buy Button will be available on both iOS and Android Twitter apps, allowing users to make purchases directly from their mobile devices.
How is the Twitter New Buy Button different from other social media platforms’ e-commerce features?
Unlike other social networks, Twitter’s “buy” button capitalizes on its real-time capabilities and the presence of mass influencers, providing a unique and timely shopping experience.
How will the Twitter New Buy Button impact marketing?
The feature is expected to be a valuable tool for marketers, especially with Twitter’s mobile-first approach. It offers brands the ability to drive instant purchases, taking advantage of Twitter’s large and engaged user base, which is predominantly mobile.
