Twitter is exploring a number of options to add new revenue streams, including adding a “tipping” feature that would allow users to pay their favorite accounts for exclusive content, according to Bloomberg on Monday morning.
The tipping option may be a smart way to go for Twitter, considering many high-profile users already leverage services like Patreon to earn money from their followers; Twitter would then be able to take a cut of each tip users receive. Other ideas being floated, according to Bloomberg, include a “subscription product,” although details are minimal at this point, and charging users for upgraded features, including the ability to “undo send.” Making Tweetdeck a paid service is another idea being considered, Bloomberg reported.
Twitter’s potential changes come as the company is looking to move away from being so reliant on advertising revenue.During Q3 2020, the last quarter information is available for, Twitter reported $808 million of its $936 million in revenue stemmed from ad sales. (Of course, Twitter isn’t the only social platform that leans heavily on ad revenue. Facebook, for example, recently reported that $27.2 billion of its $28.1 billion in revenue during Q4 came from ads.)
Another potential cause for concern: The San Francisco-based company, after strong Q2 user growth, only added 1 million daily active users during that same quarter, bringing Twitter to 187 million DAUs overall. By adding a tipping feature or subscription service, among the other ideas being considered, Twitter would also be adding another way to make money off its platform.
Twitter is set to report its Q4 earnings on Tuesday. The company’s stock, since taking a dip into the mid-$40 range last month, is trading for $58.31 per share on Monday morning.
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