twitter's strategy to survive
DESCRIPTION
I originally created this presentation as part of applying for a job at Twitter. I then presented it at BarCampSD (San Diego) in November 2008.TRANSCRIPT
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Twitter strategy› Just a starting point› Case study for internet startup strategy
Other interests› How screwed is Detroit and the US auto
industry?› What mobile platform or strategy will
win?› When and how will renewable energy be
sustainable?2
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Considering the results of a quick strategic analysis, what should Twitter do
today to emerge as the “winner” in microblogging two years from now?
WINNER=
most usersand
greatest profits
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Partner with Facebook for deep integration of enhanced Twitter application
Why?› Mutually beneficial relationship
For Twitter: Access to existing ad platform, access to Fb’s huge user base, raised awareness, and further viral Twitter adoption
For Facebook: Satisfy user needs for microblogging social network features› Risk of inaction:
FB is not likely to sit out on the microblogging party It could roll its own Twitter clone by enhancing the Status Updates feature If this offering successfully leverage Fb’s network effects, it could pre-
empt Twitter’s adoption by mainstream FB users How?
› Features such as Two-way updates (from Fb to Twitter and vice versa) Commenting/@replies shared between Fb and Twitter Twitter integration with Fb groups (e.g. using unique @groupnames)
› Fb shares ad revenues with Twitter based on the volume of Tweets viewed in status feeds on Fb.com
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Create Twitter Enterprise service for internal usage by companies for collaboration
Why?› Prevent “Microsoft effect” from boosting other
microblogging players (e.g. Yammer) Software used all day at work is convenient to
use at home because I already know how (a la MS Office)
› Businesses will pay for value-added that consumers won’t, allowing Twitter to charge for the service
How?› Allow for employees to start using enterprise Twitter at
their company – without approval of IT managers – and build proof-is-in-the-pudding case studies
› Enable easy integration of enterprise Twitter with existing business systems
› Partner with universities to study benefits of microblogging for business productivity, profitability, employee loyalty, etc 6
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Add group functionality to Twitter Why?
› Enterprise Twitter will need groups, anyway› Some customers want the feature today and might
turn to a competitor to find it Provides more benefit than cost
(new/retained users vs lost/deterred users)› Groups will enhance the role of Twitter in organizing
and sharing amongst informal social networks How?
› See Japan
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Reduce competitive risk by increasing brand recognition and loyalty
Why?› Brand loyalty strengthens network effects and
diminishes risk of substitution for competitors› It will be much easier to keep an existing customer
with Twitter than to convince someone to switch from another network they’re already using
How?› Work with media companies to promote the
use of Twitter E.g. CNN, CurrentTV on television
› This use of Twitter by business is already occurring organically – let’s make it even stronger by actively supporting it
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The following slides contain› Notes› Basic strategic analysis
5 Forces Analysis Scenario planning
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Commercial accounts› Premium services for businesses using Twitter to communicate with
customers› Provide analysis and tracking services to provide business information
Freemium› Free base level service, paid premium service
Premium API and branded clients› Pay for access to API over certain volume of requests or for commercial
purposes› Twitter-branded clients on “closed” platforms like most mobile phones
Share fee or subscription revenue with mobile provider Advertising
› Intermittent in-line tweet-ads in timeline or to SMS Enterprise version
› Corporate Twitter with admin controls and pay-per-user fees› Archiving, permissions, security, confidentiality, integration
Partner with (or sell to) Facebook› Integrate Twitter with News Feed› Share revenues from News Feed advertising
Others?
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Why is scenario planning a valuable tool for strategy planning at Twitter?
Uncertainty is high relative to executives’ ability to predict the future of the business
There are diverse, merit-worthy opinions regarding future strategy
The industry is incurring change at a significant rate
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Scope› Product and market: Twitter and the microblogging market› Timeframe: next two years
Stakeholders› Twitter, customers, suppliers, distributors, competitors
Trends› Continued growth of mobile as customers’ platform-of-
choice› Increasing use of microblogging by businesses to interact
with customers› Facebook and MySpace continue to expand user base› Increasing efforts by businesses to deploy online
collaboration tools to their employees› A vast majority of microblogging consumption continues
to occur through third-party clients› What else?
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Key uncertainties› Will existing social networks add microblogging
features?› Will an open source/standard microblogging format
emerge?› Will businesses embrace microblogging as an
enterprise tool on a wide scale?› Is advertising an effective method for monetizing
microblogging?› Will consumer customers pay for microblogging
services?› What portion of the population will adopt
microblogging actively?› How much will microblogging products change
before they become mainstream and stable?› Others?
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Slap in the Facebook World Facebook continues to build mass as the
hub of social networking X) Facebook transforms its Status Update
feature into a Twitter replacement› Twitter adoption is co-opted by Facebook’s entry into the market
-OR- Y) Twitter builds Fb app with newfound
integration or Facebook acquires Twitter14
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Twitter in the Cloud Behind the Curtain Revenue through paid access to premium
API Distributors (mashups and social
networks) do the consumer monetization (like ads)
Twitter runs a B2B/B2C hybrid business model Twitter is deployed extensively across networks and
platforms via its API Hundreds or thousands of Twitter mashups are created Facebook/MySpace + Twitter integration via application
platforms Competitors will work to make microblogging open
and cheaper/free15
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Microblogging the Microsoft Way Corporate adoption of a given
company’s microblogging tool drives consumer usage of that same product due to shared functionality and brand recognition (a la MS Office)
The microblogging system with the largest corporate user base wins the consumer game
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Open Sesame Open standards and open source software
for microblogging grow to lead the market› E.g. OpenMicroBlogging/Laconica
Network with large user base adopts standard and runs servers› Google, Yahoo, Facebook, MySpace, Microsoft
Adopters cut out Twitter as the “middle man” and use microblogging to drive traffic to their existing properties
Microblogging is not a stand alone business› See instant messaging
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Provides a systematic analysis of market structure and competition around a given market segment, company, or industry
Limitations› Assumes relatively static market
structure› Does not predict changes in dynamic
markets Scenario planning is useful in preparing
for unpredictable future situations 18
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Barriers to entry and economies of scale are low due to low fixed costs› Competitors can be built with relatively little investment› Most costs are variable (bandwith and storage)
Substitutes› Facebook status updates, group SMS, IM, blogs, mobile social networks (Loopt)
Brand loyalty still building› Building brand equity via mainstream media mentions such as CNN
Little to no intellectual property required Distribution over the Internet is open to any competitor Twitter does carry some weight in distribution on platforms by way of
being the market leader› If only one microblogging tool is integrated, it will be Twitter
Switching costs vary amongst users and between consumer and enterprise markets› It remains to be seen how much customers value their archived Tweets compared
to emails and blog posts Currently microblogging tools are free to consumers, so no product has a
price advantage The product is early in its lifecycle so it will be evolving rapidly in the near
future› This increases the likelihood that one company can leapfrog another
Network effect is single greatest strength of Twitter19
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Increase minimum efficient/effective scale› E.g. leverage network effects to increase
hurdle for competitor newcomers Increase brand awareness to strengthen loyalty
› E.g. partnerships with major media companies Patent important innovations in infrastructure Create alliances with linked products/services and
suppliers/distributors› E.g. partner with Facebook, mobile networks
Increase switching costs for customers› E.g. emphasize value of archived conversation
Provide unique functionality not provided by substitute products› E.g. searchability of and mashups with timeline
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Suppliers and distributors of Twitter are usually one and the same. A supplier to Twitter provides users for the service. A distributor spreads messages from Twitter to users.
Examples› FriendFeed› Clients (Twhirl, TweetDeck, etc)› Facebook, if Twitter were integrated
Facebook has bargaining power as they control a huge base of users interested in social networking
Facebook can integrate forward and build its own Twitter competitor (i.e. modify Status Updates)› Low barrier to entry to do this today› Twitter’s user base is only a fraction of
Facebook’s
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Acquire the supplier/distributor Increase the supplier/distributor’s
dependence on Twitter› Then start charging them
Form exclusive partnerships with supplier/distributors
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Switching to an alternative product is relatively simple and does not induce high costs (for consumers)
Consumer customers are price-sensitive because the service is not essential for doing business (aka life)
Business customers are price-sensitive because microblogging:› Has not yet proven to increase profitability› Is not yet of great strategic importance
Twitter is the only choice for customers who want immediate access to a large network of other users
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Partner with competitors or suppliers/distributors› E.g. distribution through mobile company
like Verizon Get-It-Now› Reduces customer choices available
Increase loyalty of customers Increase incentives and value-added for
customers› i.e. make the product more useful
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Current microblogging platforms are not highly differentiated by capabilities› However, Twitter has the largest base of API partners with clients, analysis tools, etc
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Acquire competitors› Not likely
Differentiate with unique features› Does any firm have a competitive
advantage in developing new features? Differentiate by continuing to grow
user network and lead by network effect
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Built-in short-link creation and analysis› Shortened Twitter URL automatically
created the first time a given full URL is Twittered Afterwards, the same shortened link is
used for the same full URL Allows for simple analysis of linking trends Could create Digg-like popularity ranking
› Short link sent to mobile but normal URL displayed on web/desktop
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