You will soon be able to purchase items from Twitter, as the micro-blogging service announced this week that they are featuring a ‘Buy’ button on tweets.
This is a big step for Twitter as they enter the realm of e-commerce, and the new button will sit inside a tweet and allow people to click to buy an item directly from that message.
Once users have clicked, they will be prompted to enter payment and shipping details. If a user is already known and registered with a service or merchant, they will be asked to tap the button again to confirm purchase.
The new function is currently being trialled with a small number of U.S users, including the likes of Rihanna and Burberry, and will initially be limited to mobile versions of Twitter.
Limited edition or time-sensitive items like event tickets or T-shirts will initially form the basis of the products sold, and Twitter will likely take a fee for facilitating the transaction, thus increasing its revenue rate in the process.
The buy button opens up a world of opportunities for brands using Twitter. Much will depend on the ease of use and security of the payment, but once it has become a trusted feature, there are a wealth of opportunities to explore.
Offering specific time-sensitive promotions, reducing the price based on the number of tweets received within a given timeframe and offering specific promotions and products based on whether it is trending are just a handful of ideas brands could explore once the buy button has been unveiled for general use.
What do you think? How popular do you think Twitter’s Buy button will become?
