Twitter’s future is still uncertain. However, the company continues to release product updates in key areas, including e-commerce. Today, the social media platform launched Product Drops, a new feature that allows online merchants to announce upcoming product launches.
According to the company, many people use Twitter to discuss product launches — both before and afterwards. They might be excited about a new drop and bragging that they have scored the item, or lamenting that it didn’t happen. Twitter announces that the new Product Drop feature will allow merchants to join in on the conversation.
Merchants can use Product Drops to create special tweets that highlight the product using both text or images. The merchant can create their usual promotional tweet and include product photos. However, they will also be able highlight when the product is available for purchase. Clicking on the tweet will take users to the Product Details Page, where they can find all the information they need, including product description, price and photos. To see what other people have to say about the product, users can click on the hashtag.
Twitter users have the option to click on the “Remind me” button to be notified when the Product Drop is live.
Twitter users can interact as with any tweet by liking, retweeting and quote tweeting. They can also share the tweet via DM (direct messages) or text. You can bookmark it for later access. When users click on the tweet’s link, they will see a box encouraging them to “join in the conversation”. This can also include a pre-filled hashtag.
Also Read: Musk Again Threatens To Pull Out Of Twitter Deal
According to the company, you can also promote the tweet using Twitter’s advertising tools.
Users who have set the Product Drop reminder will be notified in the Notifications tab of their app 15 minutes prior to the drop, and at the drop time.
Clicking the button will take them to a “Shop on Website” page where they can purchase the item from the merchant’s site. Twitter is not acting as a middleman in this instance. This is similar to TikTok’s current shopping strategy where in-app shopping features eventually link out to the retailer’s website for final checkout. The social app is only serving as the top end of the funnel and not trying to manage all aspects of the purchase flow. Meta on the other hand aims to power more shopping transactions within its app, where users can complete the checkout with Facebook Pay (now , rebranded as MetaPay).
“When a brand you love launches something, you want be the first to grab it before it’s gone. Justin Hoang, Twitter Product Manager, explained that Product Drops was designed with this goal in mind. Shoppers can find product details on the Product Details Page. They can also set reminders so they don’t miss the drop. And they can read what other shoppers have to say — all from Twitter. He said that Product Drops is a great way for shoppers to communicate with one another.
Twitter claims that the new feature is currently being tested with U.S. shoppers using Twitter in English on iOS devices. It’s working initially with @Dior and @unionlosangeles as well as @HomeDepot, @JeffStaple, and @Fossil. According to the company, it will soon make the feature available to more shoppers and merchants.
Union was founded on the values of community and culture. In keeping with that, Twitter has been an exceptional space for us to communicate and connect with our fans and keep our pulse in the culture (sneakerheads we see you),” Richard Brooks, Union Marketing Director, said in a statement. Twitter is a crucial touchpoint to increase awareness for every drop we make. We are eager to see how Product Drops can help us up the ante and improve our ability to engage and inform our audience about upcoming launches. We are excited for our fans to discover what we have in store next.
This addition comes after a series updates to Twitter’s online shopping products. These include livestream shopping in November in partnership Walmart; new Twitter cards for product pages; product carousels called Shop Spotlight and , as well as new Twitter card formats . Twitter’s entry to online shopping is still in its infancy. It doesn’t have any revenue sources beyond the associated ads, which may be used alongside product launches and other events.
Bloomberg reported that Twitter is reorganizing its internal operations to focus more on user growth after the turmoil surrounding the Elon Musk takeover. This means that Spaces and Communities could be left behind. It is still unclear what Musk’s acquisition will mean for Twitter’s future commerce development.
