Twitter has been dealing with some hard times lately; given slow growth and recent leadership changes, the company is confused regarding its ultimate identity. Amid such chaos, the video category has been just about the only positive for the micro-blogging firm this year.
Twitter exploring ways to monetize videos further
Baljeet Singh, Twitter’s head of TV and video, recently made an appearance at the digital media summit VidCon, hinting about that the company is trying to allow creators earn more from their content, says a report from Entrepreneur.
Twitter users usually discuss viral moments from cultural events like the Super-Bowl and award shows. Singh, like many, believes Twitter represents a unique, real-time opportunity for marketers. Twitter Amplify is one its most important video ad products, enabling broadcasters to tweet out viral clips like the NBA tweeting a thrilling clip of a slam dunk. Such clips are bundled with a pre-roll ad, and the revenue is shared with the broadcasters.
Referring to this model, Singh says the company is looking for ways to provide the same model to more than just broadcasters. “What we’re starting to do is think about how that program can be expanded to all types of creators,” Singh says, adding the program has 130 partners presently.
Plans for Vine and Periscope
In terms of Vine and Periscope, Twitter’s other video assets, Singh is more focused on content diversity and audience growth rather than the ads. “We’re not as tuned in to monetizing right out the gate because I think that’s a failure that a lot of initial startups make,” said Singh.
Singh, who joined Twitter in March 2014 and previously worked with Google leading YouTube’ advertising initiatives, notes that new content formats are regularly popping up from Periscope, adding his personal favorite is the Periscope’s chat feature where a pianist takes the song requests all day and night.
Singh said though the feature has produced digital stars like Cameron Dallas and Brittany Furlan, Twitter, unlike YouTube, which is developing content relating to in-house stars, has no plans to invest in original content.
Whether these efforts from the micro-blogging firm are paying off will be determined on July 28 when the company is expected to post its earnings. Twitter is experiencing heavy selling pressure, with shares down 35% from their highs last year as investors are not satisfied with the growth rate exhibited by the firm in the previous quarters.
