Twitter Inc (TWTR), fresh off the heels of Monday’s acquisition of Magic Pony Technology, just unveiled a mobile app designed to boost the efforts of video creators on Twitter.
The app is called “Twitter Engage,” and allows users to post a tongue-in-cheek 140 seconds of video, up from 30 seconds previously.
Of course, it wouldn’t be “Engage” without engagement, so the app allows creators to check the performance of the video tweets as well as sift through mentions from “influential users.”
Anyone with a Twitter account can use the app, monitoring metrics such as audience demographics, what “fans” are tweeting, recent followers, mentions and likes. It’s clear that Twitter is pushing users more toward creating and sharing video, prompting users to “post a new video” to gain more mentions, retweets, etc.
However, Engage is geared more toward celebrities than the average Twitter user, and it’s already being dubbed a “plebe” filter by its not-so-adoring press.
From the description in the Apple Inc. (AAPL) App Store:
“Twitter engage gives creators, celebrities, and public figures a better way to connect with fans and influencers. It’s the perfect tool for the people that make and share new video content every day and want to understand and grow their audience on Twitter.”
If anyone will get a kick out of Twitter’s latest initiative, it’s marketers, who can plaster pre-roll video ads on content matching their desired demographics. Engage users enrolled in Twitter Amplify, currently hosting 120 or so content partners, will get a cut of the revenue share.
So where does that leave Vine, Twitter’s already established social network for pithy videos? Not totally in the dark, as certain Vine superstars will begin testing longer videos (likely in a bid to keep up with Instagram’s longer videos). What’s more, TWTR is “exploring monetization opportunities” for Vine creators as well.
The markets aren’t enthused, however, as Twitter stock is down a quarter of a percent in Tuesday’s afternoon trading.
As of this writing, John Kilhefner did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
