Twitter Debuts 'Stickers' as it Faces Slowest Revenue Growth in Three Years

[MacRumors]

Twitter today will begin rolling out its new "Stickers" feature for iOS and Android devices, which it first announced in June, letting users choose from a set of custom-made stickers in order to customize photos before posting them to the micro-blogging social network. The update brings Twitter a step closer to the comical editing capabilities of Snapchat, where users can place, enlarge, and filter emojis layered on top of their pictures.

But, ahead of the official launch of Stickers, Twitter reported "its slowest revenue growth since going public in 2013." As reported by Reuters earlier this week, Twitter's most recent earnings forecast referenced a "disappointing" near future for the company as it struggles to keep pace with services that are catching fire, like Snapchat and Instagram.

Now, everyone can use #Stickers on photos! Celebrate with us tomorrow as we #StickTogether . pic.twitter.com/LOh2jygRno - Twitter (@twitter) July 27, 2016

Overall, this year the company's user base expanded 1 percent from Q1 (310 million monthly active users) to Q2 (313 million MAU). Revenue during the second quarter also hit below expectations, as the company's current quarter forecast of between $590 million and $610 million fell below analyst estimates of about $678.18 million.

The question now for investors, and executives at Twitter, is whether the service should pivot into a "niche product," now that its days of booming growth are behind it, and most people sticking around are longtime, loyal users. Either way, the company is said to have a plan in mind to turn things around, focusing on five key areas: its core service, live-streaming video, the site's "creators and influencers," safety, and developers.

"Clearly, the turnaround is still a work in progress and the question of whether being a platform for a mass audience versus a niche audience needs to be answered," said James Cakmak, analyst at Monness, Crespi, Hardt & Co.

"We are a year into Dorsey coming back and there is really no end in sight of when it is going to start picking up to where investors are going to be happy," said Patrick Moorhead, analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.

During the earnings call (which the company has streamed on its own live-streaming app Periscope in the past), CEO Jack Dorsey pointed out small, incremental changes brought to Twitter that he believes will help make bigger differences in public opinion in the long run. These amount to gaining the most out of its 140 character limit, including not counting links and mentions -- and soon media links -- in a tweet's character count. Presumably, beginning today, he and Twitter also hope Stickers will help bridge the divide between potential new users and their reluctance to commit to the service.

Those interested can learn more about Stickers here, and anyone who has yet to do so can get the Twitter app for free from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Twitter Debuts 'Stickers' as it Faces Slowest Revenue Growth in Three Years

 

[iLoveDeveloping]

Yey stickers.. Said no one ever!

 

[Paradoxally]

Free Milo first.

 

[levitynyc]

Still no edit button but hey, stickers!!!

 

[ScottishDuck]

Free Milo first.

Banning Milo was about the only positive action they've taken in the last few years.

Until they implement proper measures to deal with harassment and hate speech, a proper blocking system, etc. They simply will not retain users.

 

[Paradoxally]

Banning Milo was about the only positive action they've taken in the last few years.

Until they implement proper measures to deal with harassment and hate speech, a proper blocking system, etc. They simply will not retain users.

He did not harass her, period. He tweeted at her 3 times and none were abusive to warrant a permanent suspension. Correcting someone's bad grammar is not abusive, it's borderline annoying. The other two tweets were about her terrible movie.

Also, Leslie Jones has tweeted many times in the past hate against white people, but since she's not a conservative Twitter is fine with that.

That is not the reason Twitter is losing users and every time they ban or censor a prominent conservative figure their stock drops even lower.

 

[LordQ]

Stickers, the disease of social networks.

 

[maflynn]

Seems like a change to compete against Snapchat. I've decided to avoid social media, so this sort of change doesn't really motivate me.

I think Twitter is in a tough spot, they can't seem to grow the service like other social media, but it seems very popular, it's just can't monetize its popularity.

 

[akash.nu]

Twitter has just lost the plot. I think they're diluting the platform by trying too many random things.

 

[Glassed Silver]

Because there's such a lack of sticker apps, right?

Wait a minute...

Seems like a change to compete against Snapchat. I've decided to avoid social media, so this sort of change doesn't really motivate me.

I think Twitter is in a tough spot, they can't seem to grow the service like other social media, but it seems very popular, it's just can't monetize its popularity.

Wait, they ARE monetizing and to be frank, not everything can grow forever.
If we define success by the momentum of growth only, as we like to do so often, we'll have ourselves some pretty ****ed up scenarios when markets saturate and we begin to trash talk established success for lack of "growth".

So that's why we have to conquer new PLANETS.
So we can expand there, so many untapped markets. /s

Glassed Silver:mac

 

[arnoz]

Still no edit button but hey, stickers!!!

Edit will never happen. It's way too risky. I can post a nice tweet, have a couple retweets and then change the content completely meaning that people that retweeted my original content are now endorsing a racist tweet i.e.
Or just spam.

 

[akash.nu]

Edit will never happen. It's way too risky. I can post a nice tweet, have a couple retweets and then change the content completely meaning that people that retweeted my original content are now endorsing a racist tweet i.e.
Or just spam.

Well said. That's pure dodgy situation.

 

[WaxedJacket]

Share holders are learning that safe spaces don't generate revenue. Time to wake up Twitter.

 

[Sunny1990]

So they are trying hard to keep with other competitors

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

This story just reminded me to check the only part of twitter worth ever looking at:
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/with_replies

Everything else on Twitter worth seeing can be seen elsewhere. Elon's stream of consciousness can only be seen on Twitter.

 

[Carlanga]

Stickers, the disease of social networks.

and coming soon to apple w ios 10

 

[Cineplex]

Those people in the promo image......ya....that says it all.

 

[smacrumon]

Nah. This isn't really a thing is it? Seems like some effort to mess up a neat image.

 

[iObama]

Twitter always has been and always will be my favorite social media. It's the best way to get immediate info when something happens.

People don't want it to be Facebook 2.0, and the sooner they realize that, the better.

 

[akash.nu]

Twitter always has been and always will be my favorite social media. It's the best way to get immediate info when something happens.

People don't want it to be Facebook 2.0, and the sooner they realize that, the better.

Completely agree. I do the same.

Having said that they're still not making enough money.

 

[coolfactor]

Edit will never happen. It's way too risky. I can post a nice tweet, have a couple retweets and then change the content completely meaning that people that retweeted my original content are now endorsing a racist tweet i.e.
Or just spam.

They could give a time allowance, of say 1 minute, where the tweet could be edited. I find myself going through the whole "post-delete-post" just to fix a simple typo. If I could just correct the tweet right away, that would be so much better. Maybe retweeting can be denied for one minute after a tweet was created?
[doublepost=1469719779][/doublepost]

Those people in the promo image......ya....that says it all.

Honestly, that was my first thought, too. They come across as "out of touch", "desperate", "in their own world".

 

[vooke]

They could give a time allowance, of say 1 minute, where the tweet could be edited. I find myself going through the whole "post-delete-post" just to fix a simple typo. If I could just correct the tweet right away, that would be so much better. Maybe retweeting can be denied for one minute after a tweet was created?
[doublepost=1469719779][/doublepost]

You have a point but even under 1 minute the tweet may have travelled half around the world. They can instead peg it to a like, retweet,Quote or sharing elsewhere. Once that is done, it should be impossible to edit it. This way there is zero risk of distortion. Of course you still have screenshots but you can always claim you hit send too soon.

Still, if this were so,mthere should be an Edit time stamp as well as accessible static unedited versions.

Finally, the edits should be capped to once

 

[Hastings101]

Stickers, the disease of social networks.

Sorry that you don't understand the allure of Pusheen stickers.

 

[jonnysods]

That's their big move to gain more users? Seriously?

 

[augustrushrox]

Banning Milo was about the only positive action they've taken in the last few years.

Until they implement proper measures to deal with harassment and hate speech, a proper blocking system, etc. They simply will not retain users.

What exactly is 'hate speech' and how did Milo participate in it? Is it simply anything the left doesn't agree with?