Twitter is making changes to its platform to focus more on live video. Yesterday, the company added a button to user profiles for the streaming of live video notifications from individual accounts, reports BuzzFeed.
Investing big in live video
The new button buzzes when accounts go live on Periscope and share the link on Twitter.
“With live notifications, you won’t miss a moment of live video on Twitter,” a Twitter spokesperson told BuzzFeed News.
Along with pushing Periscope, the micro-blogging firm has been investing in live video lately by signing deals with sports leagues like the NHL, MLB and the NFL. A few months ago, Twitter live-streamed the Republican and Democratic National Conventions in the United States. Also Anthony Noto, Twitter’s chief financial officer, turned his Twitter feed into a list of events that informs users on what to “Watch Live!” notes BuzzFeed.
Going forward, the micro-blogging firm may use the notification subscriptions to inform users about premium live video content they might be interested in. Even in its current form, this new button will surely help the micro-blogging company in its fight against Facebook’s live-streaming product.
Twitter gets a new communications boss
In other Twitter news, Kristin Binns will now act as the new communication boss. Binns, who is coming in as a senior director, will be responsible for all of Twitter’s corporate and consumer communications, according to Re/code. Previously, she handled public relations at health insurance giant Anthem and has also worked in communications at GE and NBC.
Binns joins at a time when the board of directors is scheduled to hold a meeting to discuss the Twitter’s future as an independent company. Also the company is planning cost-cutting measures like layoffs and embarking on the growth effort of TV-style live-streaming video.
Prior to Binns, the job was held by Natalie Kerris, who left just six months after joining. Binns will report to CMO Leslie Berland, who has been running communications since Kerris’ departure. Twitter’s communications department has experienced a lot of changes in recent time. Apart from Kerris, four other communications executives also resigned to join other companies.
Twitter has never hurried on hiring, but Binns’ appointment was quick, considering the key VP product role has been not filled since June, notes Re/code. Binns only recently moved to San Francisco from Los Angeles.
