Bloomberg: Twitter is considering paid subscription for Tweetdeck

Twitter may be considering paid subscriptions to access Tweetdeck. Bloomberg claims that. The social medium would also consider a tipping system and subscriptions for ad-free timelines.

Twitter’s current revenue comes primarily from targeted advertising, Bloomberg writes. This market has grown significantly in recent years. Twitter’s market share is 0.8 percent, according to eMarketer. Therefore, Twitter would benefit from a separate source of revenue. The company would consider several options to offer subscriptions.

Among other things, the anonymous sources report the possibility for users to pay the people they follow for exclusive content. In addition, such accounts would have their own, separate timeline on which they can post exclusive tweets for subscribers. The company is also investigating the possibilities for a tipping system, something that Twitter has already applied with its video streaming platform Periscope. The company announced last year that Periscope will be discontinued in March.

Twitter would also consider charging money for the use of services such as Tweetdeck, more extensive analytics, and verifying accounts. The latter proposal is unlikely to actually be implemented, according to Bloomberg, as the verification badge would be primarily intended for notable accounts. Ad-free subscriptions are also an option, although that could also jeopardize Twitter’s most prominent source of income, Bloomberg reports.

Twitter may announce more concrete subscription plans on Tuesday. The company then publishes its quarterly results and simultaneously holds a conference call with investors. Twitter CEO Bruce Falck said in a statement that the company is excited about the potential of subscriptions, but that it is still in an “early exploration stage.” “We don’t anticipate any meaningful revenues attributable to these capabilities in 2021.”

Twitter has already officially announced in mid-2020 that it is considering subscriptions, although it hasn’t released any concrete details yet. CEO Jack Dorsey said last year that a small team is investigating the possibilities of paid subscriptions. Twitter subscription services should “complement” rather than replace current advertising revenue, Dorsey told shareholders.