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Twitter takes a new step towards e-commerce

After launching an initial test of professional accounts for brands in April, Twitter is now moving into the next phase of driving its business with the new Shop Module also being tested with a select group of brands in the US.

The new feature allows adding a shopping section to the top section of the account. As explained by the platform: Shop Module is a dedicated space at the top of the account where businesses can display their products.

"When people visit an account with Shop Module enabled, they can scroll through the range of products, tap a single product to learn more, and buy seamlessly in an in-app browser without having to leave Twitter."

With the broader growth of e-commerce, almost all social platforms are now looking at how to integrate the elements of shopping, in order to keep users on the platform for longer and maximise revenue opportunities.

As such, it's not surprising to see Twitter explore the same, which is another element in its expanded push to provide more tools for business users.

In March, the platform conducted a survey with some users asking for feedback on potential business features that could be integrated into professional accounts.

Among them was this Shop Module, along with many other offering items. It seems likely that all of these viewing options may be available to business users as Twitter expands this batch.

Twitter launches Shop Module

The more important question here seems to be whether these options are free for brands, or do businesses have to pay a monthly fee, like Twitter Blue, in order to access these additional tools.

The platform is experimenting with different forms of add-ons that users have to pay for access.

Twitter Blue is the most famous example to date. Users pay a monthly fee for additional Tweets features, including undo send and reader mode.

But Twitter is also testing updates to its tweet management platform, TweetDeck. which may also develop into similar subscription options for professional users.

Professional accounts may also become a paid option, as the platform looks for more ways to generate revenue. As part of its broader push to double its revenue by 2023.

Given this, this new product offering has the potential to become a paid tool. And based on Twitter's growing focus on monetization, this appears to be how these elements are directed.

And many brands will likely pay to access additional professional features. Accordingly, it appears to be a prime opportunity for Twitter to enhance its revenue options.