Shop While You Tweet As Twitter Launches The 'Buy' Button
Like us, most of you must have got up with an email from Twitter informing you of the changes in their privacy policies. Some of you might have got it yesterday, some today and some might get it in the coming days but what needs to be brought into attention is the content of the mail. The mail notifies the users of the roll out of the platform’s first e-commerce feature, the ‘buy’ button.
The company announced the roll out of the ‘buy’ button via a blog post on September 8, 2014 but the feature is yet to be incorporated on all profiles. “This is an early step in our building functionality into Twitter to make shopping from mobile devices convenient and easy,” the company wrote on its blog. “Sellers will gain a new way to turn the direct relationship they build with their followers into sales.”
Even though marketers are absolutely sure about this feature being a good start for Twitter towards e-commerce, they’re also doubtful about the percentage of the audience that would have faith in it - enough to add their bank account details to their profiles.
“I think it’s genius. The Amazon ‘1-click’ buying option is the super pimp of impulse buys. Combining that with Twitter’s built-in sense of urgency could be a huge win for the platform. The one obstacle I can think of is trust - nobody feels 100% certain that their accounts are secure on Twitter. So I can imagine some reluctance from users about adding their bank details to their accounts”, says Steve Spicer (@BUNCHofSTEVE), Social Media Manager, Turquoise Branding.
Another challenge that comes across with the launch of this feature seems to be the ability to deliver a convincing sales pitch in 140 characters.
"At first glance it does seem like a slightly more direct CTA, similar to Facebook's 'Shop Now'. But on a grander scale, it's Twitter's first big move into e-commerce - and an inevitable one. Twitter's largest audience is on mobile, a platform where a ton of shopping takes place. But brands need to be a little smarter when toying with Twitter as an out and out sales platform. A flat out tweet with a picture of a product asking people to buy it won't work, brands will need to die it back to something relevant. The challenge is to convey the immediate need of the product and how good it is - all in a picture and 140 characters", says Avtar Ram Singh ( @AvtarRamSingh), Digital Marketing Manager, Circus Social.
But what's more interesting? The fact that so many platforms will be offering a buy button to the same audience! Who's going to win?
"There will be buy button wars. Twitter and Facebook, Amazon and Paypal, perhaps even Square. Who knows. I wonder who consumers will give permission to own this. I think people need to think about where they invest. Twitter is fleeing; Facebook is pay to play. Buying is still fraught with friction. I think micro carts will become a whole new type of embedded content - already all the affiliate vendors try to help in this space. I don't think it should change the way people approach Twitter. Marketers just need a strategy first to decide where they want people to interact (and how they want to pay for this and how affiliate and incentives will get dispersed)", says Nick Kellet (@NickKellet), Co - Founder, List.ly.
The company has launched the feature on the following accounts and we are eagerly looking forward to seeing how they make use of it:
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)
The company also states that the feature shall soon be available on other popular business accounts.
But before you move on to taking a look at the above mentioned accounts to shop, take a look at what it’s going to be like:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEGk5LRumJM[/embed]
Personally, we think this feature is a great launch for Twitter to move towards e-commerce. Even though with a bit of hesitance, people are going to give it a shot. Considering that it resembles the “Download” button that shows up in app - install ads and the fact that users are familiar with Twitter ads by now, the addition of a “Buy Now” button seems like an obvious win for the company.
What do you think about this feature? Feel free to share your views with us.
All we got to say for now is..
Happy Twitter Shopping!
