Vine just added messaging to help Twitter better compete with Facebook. Source: Vine.
Messaging is the next big battleground in the war for social media dominance, Fool contributor Tim Beyers says in the following video. How can we know? Twitter (TWTR) offered clues when it added the ability for Vine users to send short video messages, effectively copying one of Instagram's more interesting features.
Tens of billions are going into acquiring or improving messaging services. Facebook's (NASDAQ: FB) $19 billion bid for WhatsApp appears to have accelerated the trend, which appears to have begun with Japan's Rakuten acquiring Viber for a reported $900 million. Other recent bids include Alibaba Group's $215 million investment in Tango.
Then there are the companies that haven't yet been targeted but are growing like digital weeds. Telegram is a good example, Tim says, noting the app's 15 million daily active users -- up from just 100,000 in October. Whether or not Vine's new capabilities become a catalyst for Twitter stock, there's no denying messaging's influence on the social media market as we've come to know it.
Now it's your turn to weigh in. Do you see Vine messaging catching on among Twitter users? Why or why not? Please watch the video to get the full story and then leave a comment to let us know what you think, including whether you would buy, sell, or short Twitter stock at current prices.
