The Twitter “Buy” Button

09, Sep. 2014

Has this happened to you before?

You scroll through your Twitter feed and see the latest gadget or product you want.
Then, you Google that thing you desire on a browser. Then you make an online purchase. How many steps did that take? On average, between 3-5. It depends on how soon that website directs you to the specific product you’re looking for. Then there’s the matter of filling out your credit card info and shipping details.
Imagine this instead:
You see the thing on Twitter.
You want it.
Click. Buy. Click. Done.
You’ve just bought it.
Yes, you can now buy stuff from Twitter… well in select parts of the U.S., for now. They’re testing this capability and seeing how users respond.
You input your credit card and shipping info and this information is “encrypted and safely stored after your first transaction… so you can easily buy on Twitter in the future without having to re-enter your information”.
Currently, you can only make purchases from the following merchant partners Fancy (@fancy), Gumroad (@gumroad), Musictoday (@Musictoday) and Stripe (@stripe).

So, what to make of all this?

Well, this is interesting on several levels.

One observation is that the culture of Twitter is definitely evolving. Once a place for timely information and short bursts of content in 140 characters or less, it’s now become a bit of a bazaar… a visual hub for selling this and that.
It’s also interesting in that there’s also an exclusivity factor to this. Users will get access to offers and products not found anywhere else.
This is another way brands are trying to create a more intimate dialogue and social relationship with their fans.

As we wait for the story to develop, no word on whether you must follow the brands to get the offers, or whether they show up as promoted posts, or if they appear on your ‘discover’ tab.

What are your thoughts on this latest Twitter development?
Add your comments below.

Source: https://blog.twitter.com/2014/testing-a-way-for-you-to-make-purchases-on-twitter