Tag Archive for: Twitter marketing

X Is Likely Going To Start Charging All Users For Access

X (formerly Twitter) is likely to do away with free accounts in the near future and shift to a strictly paid business model according to a recent statement from owner Elon Musk. 

Rumors had been swirling that Musk is considering moving away from free accounts, and the controversial business leader confirmed as much in a live-streamed interview with (similarly controversial) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week. 

In the discussion, Musk mentioned that he X is “moving to a small monthly payment” as a solution to problems on the platform. 

Specifically, Musk said this approach is “the only way I can think of to combat vast armies of bots. Because a bot casts a fraction of a penny – call it a tenth of a penny – but even if it has to pay … a few dollars or something, the effective cost of bots is very high.” 

How this paid model would prevent issues that have been seen on other platforms with a small entry fee is unclear. 

At the same time, it is hard to believe Musk isn’t also considering introducing a mandatory fee for users as a solution to continuously dwindling ad revenue. 

Since taking over Twitter, ad revenue has fallen throughout Musk’s ownership, largely due to reductions in moderation and increases in objectionable content including hate speech. The platform has had several high-profile incidents of advertisers being unwittingly shown alongside nazi imagery, slurs, and calls to violence.

Meanwhile, Musk argues these incidents are rare exceptions and blames organizations such as the Center for Countering Digital Hate saying they are “actively working to prevent free expression.”

Despite the series of controversies and questionable decisions, Musk touted several milestone achievements throughout the livestream, including saying that X has 550 million monthly users who post between 100 to 200 million times a day. 

For businesses continuing to include X as a part of their social media strategy, it is important to monitor these continued changes and assess whether the platform is worth paying for access.

/0 Comments

Twitter Makes Its Source Code Public, Here’s What You Need To Know

, ,

Following leaks, Twitter has made its content recommendation algorithm completely available to the public – laying bare how the social network works and what sort of posts are most likely to succeed. 

Along with a lot of interesting details involving which types of content are best received, how your interactions with others affect you, and how poor grammar may hurt you, the code also includes a number of concerning details that have made human rights groups concerned. 

Let’s talk about all the most notable parts below:

Likes Count Most

Likes seem like the easiest type of interaction you can get from other users but don’t underestimate them. The code shows that likes are easily the most important type of engagement compared to retweets or replies. 

The system assigns points to each type of interaction, with each point giving a boost to a post’s visibility. In the current system, a single like gives a post 30 points. Retweets are not far behind, giving 20 points. Shockingly, replies are practically meaningless in comparison, giving just a single point for each reply. 

This means that all the conversation in the world doesn’t matter if users aren’t also liking your posts. 

Pics and Videos Are Important

Less surprisingly, the source code confirms that posts containing visual media are largely preferred over plain text. 

Linking Out Is Frowned Upon

This is another one that has been suspected for a while but has been confirmed by the source code. 

For the most part, Twitter does not want you to link users off the platform. It makes a simple type of sense. Twitter’s goal is to keep people on the app as long as possible, and each link represents a chance for users to leave the app. 

To combat this, the site largely downplays posts containing links unless they are coming from accounts that already have a lot of interaction on their posts. 

Twitter Blue Helps

Elon Musk has not been shy about his plans to make Twitter more of a pay-for-play platform through his pet project, Twitter Blue. Since its reveal, one of the touted benefits of the premium subscription is increased visibility, which is backed by the source code. 

This is not a guarantee you’ll suddenly get a ton of exposure if you sign up for Twitter Blue, though. Accounts are just given points toward their overall algorithm ranking if they are subscribed. 

Poor Spelling Costs You

For a site with the most limited options for editing posts after they go live (only available to Twitter Blue subscribers for 30 minutes after a tweet is posted), Twitter is surprisingly uptight about spelling and grammar. The source code indicates that posts with poor spelling and grammar may be demoted as a form of spam prevention.

The Controversial Stuff

Lastly, we come to the most eyebrow-raising details contained within the source code because of how Twitter appears to be handling international conflicts and vulnerable groups. 

Based on the available code, Twitter seems to be limiting the visibility of posts talking about the ongoing war in Ukraine as hate-based content. This is particularly problematic as many human aid groups have relied on social networks like Twitter to drive donations, awareness, and support.

Another hot-button topic that seems to be directly targeted by Twitter’s code are transgender individuals. Users found that several terms relating to transgender people are suppressed on the platform, particularly when sharing links to other sites containing those terms. Meanwhile, activists say that the platform is not limiting pages containing hateful terms.

Musk says part of the decision to make this source code open to the public is the hope to identify problems that can be quickly fixed by the team to improve the recommendation algorithm. As such, the code should be seen as a work in progress. Still, it is worth taking time to familiarize yourself with everything in the recent code if you drive sales for your business through Twitter.

/0 Comments

Twitter Introduces View Counts, Promises Users Will Be Able To Opt-Out

Last week, Twitter CEO Elon Musk suddenly revealed that view counts would be publicly visible for all tweets – not just videos shared on the platform. 

Previously, this data was only available to the user who posted a tweet through the post insights tools for creators. 

The view count appears alongside other engagement metrics such as likes and retweets, below the main content of a tweet. The number also refreshes in real-time.

As Musk said during the announcement, the view count is meant to draw attention to the number of Twitter users that do not typically engage with tweets in public ways – such as commenting or liking:

“[This] shows how much more alive Twitter is than it may seem, as over 90% of Twitter users read, but don’t tweet, reply or like, as those are public actions.”

Twitter users did not appear to be on board with the newly viewable impressions counts, though many complained that the lack of engagement compared to views actually demoralizes creators. It is also a strange time to introduce impression counts when there has been widespread frustration about falling engagement across the platform.

After days of backlash about the feature, Musk said that the platform would be adding the option to turn off view counts. 

In response to a comment from someone who disliked the design of Twitter since adding the view count, Musk said the platform will “tidy up the esthetics & add a setting to turn it off.”

Still, the controversial CEO remained positive about the feature, saying “I think almost everyone will grow to like it.”

/0 Comments

Twitter Blue Expands To Brands With Blue For Business

After a somewhat chaotic rollout for Twitter Blue Verified for standard users, the company is beginning the process of launching Blue for Business.

The new subscription option will distinguish verified businesses from verified individuals through a unique gold checkmark, square profile pictures, and the ability to link affiliated Twitter accounts.

Those who are linked as an affiliated account, such as accounts of employees, will be given a different badge next to their verified individual checkmark. 

For example, you can see the difference between the official Twitter account and the linked affiliated account for an employee below: 

Blue for Business example

It is unclear what other benefits Blue for Business accounts receive by subscribing – other than the ability to distinguish themselves from potential impersonators.

However, the announcement does describe some ways Twitter sees Blue for Business being used by brands:

“By creating this connection, we’re making it possible for businesses to create networks within their own organizations–on Twitter. Businesses can affiliate their leadership, brands, support handles, employees or teams. Journalists, sports team players or movie characters can all be affiliated. You name it, we got it. Each affiliate will be verified and officially linked to their parent handle based on a list provided by the parent business. We will share any new criteria, pricing or process as we update them.”

Currently, Blue for Business is limited to a pilot run of select accounts. It is expected to roll out broadly to brands that want to subscribe early next year. Most likely, we will learn more about exactly what the service has to offer brands other than verification.

/0 Comments

Twitter Relaunches Twitter Blue and Other Profile Verification Labels

,

After a false start, Twitter is relaunching its verification system including the much-discussed Twitter Blue program. 

To distinguish those who are paying for verification from celebrities or well-known businesses, the new take on the system is also introducing unique labels for businesses and official accounts. 

During the initial rollout of the Twitter Blue system, there was a wave of confusion as parody accounts, trolls, and other bad actors were spending the $8 fee for Twitter Blue to impersonate public figures and companies. 

Following this confusion and complaints from several companies facing PR fiascos, Twitter CEO Elon Musk temporarily retracted the program. In theory, the new badges for official and business accounts, along with restrictions on who can apply for Twitter Blue, should help prevent bad actors from abusing the system. 

Below, we will get into what each badge stands for and who is eligible for each.

Twitter Verified (Twitter Blue) – Blue Checkmark

The classic blue checkmark will be available to users subscribing to the Twitter Blue verified program.

The program costs $8 per month if you subscribe through a web browser or $11 for those subscribing through the iOS app. Musk says the increased cost for Apple users is reflective of Apple’s commission on in-app purchases.

Along with the blue checkmark, Twitter Blue accounts will soon start receiving a number of benefits including:

  • Priority placement in replies, mentions, and search results
  • 50% fewer advertisements
  • The ability to edit tweets
  • The ability to publish longer videos

To be eligible, accounts must meet a number of criteria including:

  • Be Complete: Your account must include a display name and profile photo
  • Recent Activity: There must be activity on the account in the last 30 days
  • Established: Accounts must be older than 90 days and include a phone number for verification
  • Non-Deceptive: Twitter must find no signs of deceptive activity on your account, including signs of platform manipulation or spam.

Verified Businesses – Gold Checkmark

While verified businesses or public figures used to share the blue checkmark, they will now be distinguished with a gold checkmark. The intent is to prevent confusion between individuals paying for verification and brands established on the platform. 

For now, brands that already have a blue checkmark will see their badge automatically converted to the gold option. However, Twitter’s product lead, Esther Crawford, says the company will soon be opening up portals for businesses to apply for gold checkmarks.

Important Verified Figures – “Official” Labels

Lastly, the social network is granting important public figures an “Official” label next to their account names. This label will be applied to all of the following types of accounts:

  • Government accounts
  • Political organizations (such as parties) 
  • Commercial companies & business partners
  • Major brands
  • Media outlets

For more, explore the new Help Center page for profile labels.

/0 Comments

Twitter Reveals New Features Including A Long Awaited Edit Button

Twitter has revealed several long-awaited features this week, including new ways to filter the content on your timeline, the ability to limit who can see your tweets to a specific group, and even the ability to edit tweets.

Let’s explore what each feature does in detail and when you might see it in your feed below:

Topic-Focused Timelines

Twitter is publicly testing new timeline options for users which will gather content related to recent events or themes. 

Though the feature was previewed earlier this year, users finally saw the first example of one of these topic-focused timelines on August 24th around the airing of ABC’s “The Bachelorette”. 

While some are calling these “custom timelines”, these topic-focused timelines will be generated via Twitter’s content algorithms using a combination of search terms, usernames, topics, and manual curation. 

Twitter Circles

The social network is introducing a new way to limit who can see specific tweets.

Twitter Circles allow you to select a number of specific users who will be able to see specific tweets that other users cannot. 

The most obvious use of this feature will be letting public figures publish more casual or personal tweets to their close friends while still maintaining a professional appearance for most users. 

Additionally, brands might use Twitter Circles to give access to an exclusive group of up to 150 followers – potentially delivering exclusive promotions or product sneak peeks. 

Edit Published Tweets

After years of requests from users, Twitter has confirmed it is finally testing an edit feature that would let users change the contents of their tweets for up to 30 minutes after posting. 

The company announced the test via a tweet, though a since-published blog post provided more details about how the feature will work and who will have access.

As the blog post says:

“We’re hoping that, with the availability of Edit Tweet, tweeting will feel more approachable and less stressful,” Twitter said in the blog post. “You should be able to participate in the conversation in a way that makes sense to you, and we’ll keep working on ways that make it feel effortless to do just that.”

Once edited, tweets will also include a timestamp, icon, and label indicating it has been updated.

While the feature is hotly anticipated, users may be disappointed to hear that the edit button will be limited to paying Twitter Blue subscribers – at least initially. 

The company says its next stage of testing will give early access to subscribers so that Twitter can monitor how the edit feature is used by the public.

/0 Comments

Twitter Adds ‘Location Spotlight’ To Help Users Find Your Store

,

Twitter is introducing a new feature called the Location Spotlight that will make it easier for your online fans to become your real-life customers. 

With the Location Spotlight feature, businesses with physical locations can add store details like your address, phone number, store hours, and even a map showing your location. You can also add links to your website or make it possible to quickly call or message your company.

New Name For Wide Release

This feature is not entirely new to the platform. However, this is the first time many brands will have access to the profile module. 

Twitter tested much of this feature with a small number of well-known professional accounts, calling it the ‘About Module’ at the time. Now, Twitter is bringing this tool (and its new name)  to all businesses with professional Twitter accounts.

How To Get Access

Once you are eligible, update your Location Spotlight by following these steps

  1. Select ‘Edit Profile’
  2. Find and click the ‘Edit professional profile’ button near the bottom of the page
  3. Select ‘Profile Spotlight’
  4. Enter your business details (including your address, hours, website, and contact info)
  5. Select ‘Publish’ to save and display these details on your profile.
/0 Comments

Twitter Shuts Down ‘Fleets’ Just 9 Months After Launch

,

Twitter is saying goodbye to Fleets, its take on the popular Story format across most popular social networks, after launching the feature just nine months ago.

In a recent announcement, the company said it would stop supporting Fleets as of August 3, 2021.

As Twitter explained, it had hoped that Fleets would help drive new engagement and new users. From what they’ve seen, that just wasn’t happening.

The official statement stated:

“We built Fleets as a lower-pressure, ephemeral way for people to share their fleeting thoughts. We hoped Fleets would help more people feel comfortable joining the conversation on Twitter.

“But, in the time since we introduced Fleets to everyone, we haven’t seen an increase in the number of new people joining the conversation with Fleets like we hoped.”

That isn’t to say the feature wasn’t being used. Instead, the people who took to using Twitter Fleets were already active and engaged on the platform before the feature was rolled out. 

“Although we built Fleets to address some of the anxieties that hold people back from Tweeting, Fleets are mostly used by people who are already Tweeting to amplify their own Tweets and talk directly with others.

“We’ll explore more ways to address what holds people back from participating on Twitter. And for the people who already are Tweeting, we’re focused on making this better for you.”

It is somewhat surprising to see a company be so candid about an underwhelming launch, though Twitter isn’t treating the shutdown of Fleets as a loss. Instead, they say they will apply what they’ve learned towards future improvements.

What Comes Next

When Fleets are removed from the platform, Twitter will use its current place to highlight live audio streams and chats through Spaces.

“The top of the timeline continues to be a good spot to highlight what’s happening right now so you’ll still see Spaces there when someone you follow is hosting or speaking in a live audio conversation.”

There’s no need to worry about lost content, however, since Fleets were already designed to disappear after 24 hours.

/0 Comments

Twitter Will Let You Add a ‘Subscribe’ Button To Your Profile

, ,

Twitter is making it possible to drive newsletter sign ups straight from your profile through recently acquired company Revue. 

Those publishing their newsletters through Revue will be able to add a ‘Subscribe’ button directly in their profile, underneath the ‘mutual followers’ section and above your most recent tweets. 

Revue announced the new feature earlier this week in a series of tweets, which said:

“We’re currently building new ways to grow your newsletter audience, and we want to preview one that will live right on your Twitter profile.

“We want to give writers tools to turn their growing, engaged Twitter audience into newsletter subscribers. This will be available for Revue newsletters soon, so stay tuned. Now, back to work to keep building.“

Along with the sign up button, Twitter will highlight the name of your newsletter, what type of content they can expect to receive, and how many subscribers you have. 

Users can also choose to read a sample issue of your newsletter before subscribing. 

To help prevent accidental opt-ins, Twitter will also require users to verify their subscription via a link in their email.

Monetization Opportunities?

One thing that makes Revue somewhat unique in the newsletter area is that publishers can choose to offer paid newsletters (with Twitter/Revue taking 5% of the revenue). By linking these newsletters with the subscription button, users can technically take advantage of one of the first ways to monetize content on the platform. 

Importantly, Revue is entirely free for those who opt for the traditional method of delivering free newsletters to subscribers. 

When Is It Coming?

Despite the announcement of the feature, it is unclear when exactly we can expect to see the Subscribe button go live across Twitter. 

Rumors suggest it could be launched as soon as the next few weeks on Android and desktop devices, with iOS support coming further down the line. Still, there is no official launch window in the statement from Revue, meaning we could be pleasantly surprised with an earlier launch or that we may have to wait even longer.

/0 Comments

Leaked Previews Detail The Upcoming Twitter Paid Subscription Service

, ,

New data extracted from the Twitter app gives us the clearest picture so far of what the company’s upcoming subscription service will look like when it reaches the world. 

Rumors have swirled for quite some time that the company was planning to launch a paid service, which was confirmed earlier this year. However, pretty much nothing has been known about what features would be included, it’s pricing, or even the name of the subscription service. 

Information pulled by reverse engineering expert Jane Manchun Wong may potentially change that, though. 

In a series of Tweets, Wong revealed the service is tentatively being called “Twitter Blue” and will offer prices starting at $2.99 a month. 

She also revealed the service will include the ability to “undo” sent tweets, manage bookmarked tweets, and access to ad-free news articles. 

All of this information is subject to change until an official announcement is made, but here’s what we know about the paid features currently. 

Undo Sent Tweets

Obviously, it is pretty much impossible to completely remove something from the internet once it’s out there. Still, Twitter wants to give you the next best thing. 

With the undo sent tweets feature, the social network will give users a short chance to rethink what they are about to send out to the world.

When enabled, the feature delays the publishing of your tweet for about 6-seconds after hitting Post. This gives you the extra chance to look over your tweet for any typos or reconsider publishing something incendiary. 

This means literally no one will have the chance to see impulsive, poorly written, or incomplete tweets if you hit undo within the short time window. 

Bookmarks Collections

Twitter Blue seems set to also offer users the ability to organize and manage their Twitter bookmarks into separate folders. 

Currently, bookmarked tweets are all put into a single “Bookmarks” list. This means the feature unfortunately becomes less effective the more you use it, as it gets harder to find what you are looking for in your growing list of saved content. 

With Collections, users will be able to keep their increasing bookmarks collection organized and easy to search through. This also opens the potential to being able to share Collections with others in the future, similar to creating and sharing pinboards on Pinterest. 

Ad-Free News Articles

Following Twitter’s recent acquisition of Scroll, it has been widely assumed the social network planned to integrate the news service into its paid subscriptions. 

Wong’s discoveries confirm this, with ad-free news offered to higher-tier paid users.

The reason for the heightened cost is that Twitter plans to share revenue with publishers on the news platform – making the service a win-win for both readers and publishers alike.

Given where the data was pulled from, it seems likely we are getting close to the official public reveal of Twitter Blue to the world. Until then, however, Wong has given us a glimpse into just what Twitter is planning for its upcoming subscription service.

/0 Comments