Despite the fact that it might feel like you see a Promoted Post every time you log onto Twitter, Donald Trump’s former social media platform of choice is actually not doing too hot when it comes to targeted ad buys. In fact, Twitter only brings in less than one percent of the global digital advertisement market, which is why the company is turning to a new revenue strategy: Subscription pricing. The company is reportedly considering various revenue plans to get users to pay a price for either premium content or more advanced features coming down the line. Via Bloomberg:
A number of Twitter teams are researching subscription offerings, including one using the code name “Rogue One,” according to people familiar with the effort. At least one idea being considered is related to “tipping,” or the ability for users to pay the people they follow for exclusive content, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are internal. Other possible ways to generate recurring revenue include charging for the use of services like Tweetdeck or advanced user features like “undo send” or profile-customization options.
This isn’t the first time that Twitter has mulled charging for TweetDeck, which is a favorite for power users of the social media platform. Back in 2017, the company surveyed TweetDeck users to see what features they’d be willing to pay for, but nothing ever came of the initiative after fielding the responses. It’s unclear whether Twitter will move ahead with that plan again, or whether it will pursue other options like charging for an ad-free experience or the ability to upload higher quality video.
Bloomberg also reports that the company is considering charging for Verified accounts, which could quickly become a hot button issue if you’ve ever seen one of the numerous daily fights over “Blue Checks” weighing in on a topic.
(Via Bloomberg)