Twitter has just unveiled its new Live Shoppin platform. This makes the microblogging platform the latest social media company to do so.
The social media giant will host its first shopping livestream this Sunday at 7PM ET. The “Cyber Deals Sunday” stream will see Twitter collaborate with Walmart, and will take place during the post-Thanksgiving weekend.
The 30-minute show will be hosted by Jason Derulo, and will feature “electronics, home goods, apparel, seasonal décor, surprise special guests, and much more.”
According to promotional images released by Twitter, its live shopping platform is split between a video livestream, an online catalog, and a feed of tweets. The stream, according to The Verge, will continue in a picture-in-picture mode if you follow a link to a retailer’s website.
Shopping, according to Twitter, will be accessible to all platforms with limitations for Android users. Android uses will be able to watch the stream, but not engage with its shopping capabilities.
Twitter is capitalizing on users’ growing interest in ecommerce when it started experimenting on new shopping features a couple of months ago. The experimental feature which has been confirmed by Twitter, will display tweets that link out to ecommerce product page.
The feature which takes the form of a new Twitter card, will have a “Shop” button and integrate product details directly into your tweets. This will include the product’s name, shop’s name, and product pricing.
The experiment may not be unconnected with a statement made by Twitter Revenue Lead, Bruce Falck, during an event in April. In the statement per TechCrunch, Falck said: “We’re…starting to explore ways to better support commerce on Twitter.”
“This demand gives us confidence in the power of combining real-time conversation with an engaged and intentional audience. Imagine easily discovering, and quickly purchasing, a new skincare product or trendy sneaker from a brand you follow with only a few clicks,” he added.
Social media companies continue to explore the ecommerce option as a means of increasing their revenue base. YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and a host of others are among platforms that have bought into online shopping.
The pandemic also encouraged social media companies to embrace online shopping. Since millions of people now prefer to do their shopping online as a safety measure against the pandemic, it has become necessary for Twitter and the likes to embrace online shopping services.
