Twitter unveiled its ad product updates today as it tries to make its platform more amenable to e-commerce and direct marketers, a part of its business that has been lacking.
Twitter announced several interface changes for professional users in an effort to unlock more performance marketing dollars. Among them are advanced profile features: Businesses will be able to create an "about" section featuring information like opening hours, location on a map, and one-click contact buttons.
Twitter is also expanding “Branded Likes,” a feature that allows advertisers to customize the “Like” button with their own animated icon, turning the heart into, say, a bouncing basketball. The social networking company tested the feature with Disney last year, where the “Like” heart morphed into the Star Wars character Baby Yoda.
Behind the scenes, Twitter says it’s rebuilt Timeline Takeover function for advertisers (formerly called First View), and it can now deliver more impressions by taking over the timeline and Explore tab. Timeline video advertisements that air before the content can now feature a brand’s logo in the top left corner, which Twitter says helps with audience recall.