Twitter recently announced that it has opened up its Buy Now card feature for general availability testing, creating more opportunities for marketers to connect awareness and sales. Previously, only a small percentage of U.S. users were receiving the Tweets from a select group of test partners.
The Buy Now card, which originally debuted in early September, is intended to make it easy for retailers to sell products, digital goods, or services directly within a tweet on the platform.
Twitter has since established partnerships with several large e-commerce platforms – BigCommerce, Demandware and Shopify – to facilitate frictionless shopping for brands of all sizes on Twitter. Brands that are not supported by these platforms are also able to integrate Buy Now cards into their Twitter strategies directly through Stripe’s API, meaning they can generate e-commerce sales without an independent site.
There is no minimum media investment required to test the Buy Now card; however, there may be processing fees associated with the different partners. At this time, the Buy Now feature remains a U.S.-only product.
What This Means for Users:
Twitter users can now purchase products displayed within the platform in as few as two taps – one tap on the buy button and a second to confirm the purchase. The first time users purchase through Twitter, they will be prompted to provide payment and address information, which will then be saved for future purchases.
What This Means for Twitter:
Buy Now cards are a big step for Twitter in its efforts to build a revenue stream beyond advertising on the platform and position itself as a place to buy products as well.
With in-platform e-commerce, celebrities, influencers and brands will come to play an even larger role in spreading the word about products, providing marketers with even more avenues to drive sales.
What This Means for Brands:
Twitter has yet to provide any metrics around purchase behaviors of users utilizing the Buy Now card, so brands will likely want to test the feature out on a case-by-case basis.
If the Buy Now card proves successful, it could be a very effective tool in driving purchase among the right consumers. Twitter’s effective conversation targeting capabilities and the Buy Now card feature when combined could help brands reach those consumers in a need-based state, when they are even more likely to purchase.
The card also poses as an interesting opportunity for brands that lack the support of an e-commerce platform to dabble in the business.
Based on Twitter’s high volume during live events, there could also be opportunities for brands to create strategic tie-ins through TV retargeting using the card to drive action. It could also be a powerful conversion tool when coupled with high-reach TV ads during events such as the Super Bowl, The Academy Awards or even important political debates.
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The Twitter Buy Now card is the next phase of “right time” mobile e-commerce. Twitter’s effective conversation targeting capabilities combined with the Buy Now card can help brands reach consumers in a need-based state, when they are even more likely to purchase – making it easier for retailers to sell products, digital goods or services directly within a tweet on the platform. This is an exciting advancement on the platform, that has the potential to help advertisers bridge the gap between advertising and conversion.
Authors: Lauren Silverman and Nikki Siegel, Strategists at 360i.
Cover photo via Mashable.
