By Nikita Geldenhuys

The new function is available to global advertisers as part of Twitter’s conversational ads offering. “Conversational ads contain compelling images or videos that include call-to-action buttons with customisable hashtags,” Ilya Brown, the company’s head of product, brand and video ads wrote in a blog post. “The new Instant Unlock Card builds on this by incentivising users to tweet by offering access to exclusive content (e.g., a film’s trailer or an exclusive Q&A) after the tweet is sent.”

Product changes increasing usage

The launch of the Instant Unlock Card comes in the wake of lower-than-estimated earnings by the company. Twitter shares reportedly fell in February 2016 after it announced a decline in monthly active usage in the fourth quarter of 2015. In an article on Reuters, Yasmeen Abutaleb and Rishika Sadam write that the company’s second quarter revenue for this year was equally concerning, with the slowest revenue growth seen since 2013.

In a press release on these financial results, Twitter’s CEO Jack Dorsey said the business remained confident in its product roadmap and is “seeing the direct benefit of our recent product changes in increased engagement and usage”. 

Joining other 2016 product launches from Twitter, Instant Unlock Card is one more way in which the company is reaching out to marketers. 

The right fit for South Africa?

Daniel Pinch, founder of Society King James, has found that their clients and local marketers, in general, are open to Twitter advertising and consider the platform as a key social media channel. “If clients ‘get’ digital, they are usually willing to spend on Twitter – but only as long as the results are there.”

He believes the feature could be popular amongst local users if the content is of high quality. Audiences may enjoy unlocking a new music video, concert footage, or a movie trailer. As an example, the US television channel AMC used the new advertising to promote its show, The Walking Dead, with an exclusive trailer. 

Instant Unlock Cards might also increase the likelihood that a campaign hashtag could trend on Twitter, says Julia Rhodes, head of social media at the Cape Town-based agency, Stretch. “Since the ads might make people use the campaign hashtag to unlock the content, campaign hashtag usage will undoubtedly increase. If this happens enough, the campaign hashtag could trend.”

On the question whether all users will respond positively to the idea of retweeting in order to access content, Rhodes answers: “Only time will tell. It could work if content is positioned in such a way that people realise they are getting something exceptional – which they wouldn't be getting otherwise.”

She warns that if advertisers force users to unlock the type of content they would normally see in their feed, the audience might feel cheated. Pinch agrees that Instant Unlock Card’s success will depend on what is being restricted. “Knowing how South Africa operates on Twitter, I have no doubt it won’t be an entirely positive reaction. If content doesn’t deliver something awesome, brands are going to get some haters.”

Leveraging Twitter for the local context

Rhodes points to a report by World Wide Worx indicating Twitter’s usage increase by 12% in South Africa in 2015. This amounts to 7.4 million users that could potentially be reached by tweets. All of Rhodes’ clients utilise the social network for advertising. “Part of the reason for this is that one can target people who follow competitor brands and achieve good click-through rates if your target audience are avid Twitter users.”

In Pinch’s opinion, local marketers could do more to exploit the opportunities that the platform offers. “The approach to social channels has been a ‘tick-box’ one. Many brands felt they had to be on Twitter because their competitors were, even though they are unclear on its purpose. The standard strategy is often to roughly mirror the approach to Facebook.”

He underscores the importance of separating strategies for the two platforms. “The other mistake is to assume South African Twitter is the same as US Twitter. I think we have a completely different community here, which works in a distinctly South African way.”

His advice to brands is to consider the social network if you have something current to say and can take part in conversations on relevant topics. Advertising on the platform without adding to the conversation is not recommended. 

Twitter faces another challenge in local and global markets, notes Rhodes. “Despite its growth in the country, it is important to note that there are a lot of different social channels among which marketers have to divide their efforts. Facebook use, for instance, increased by 8% and Instagram rose in popularity by a massive 133% in the past year.”

Will you use Twitter’s latest advertising product? What’s your take on the new Instant Unlock Card feature? Let us know in the comments below.