Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the last few months, you'll have no doubt noticed that there have been some big changes at Twitter, not least to their staff and big boss!
Following a 'will-he, 'won't-he?' when it came to purchasing Twitter, Elon Musk has already implemented some big changes to the social media platform. Here's our take on some of the changes:
Twitter Blue
Twitter Blue, it's a functionality that's been floating around for a while, however, when Musk took over he initiated a revamp which included some big new features:
Better news reading experience
Arguably one of the less prominent features within the subscription, however, the purchase of Twitter Blue supposedly grants access to a new, cleaner thread reading experience making reading the news much easier.
Early access to selected new features
The early adopters amongst us will be having that 'Christmas Morning' feeling with the new features Twitter Blue promises, such as:
- Edit Tweet functionality - This is a biggie, and a functionality that's been promised for some time - however, there will be some limitations, with only 5 edits within the first 30 minutes of posting allowed AND your edit history will be viewable to those who want to see the 'evolution of your tweets'.
- NFT Profile Pictures - Web3 is billed as being the next 'big thing', the evolution of the internet. NFTs or Non-Fungible Tokens, are essentially pieces of artwork that can be sold via Cryptocurrency - adding the functionality for NFT profile pictures could improve the creator experience and add an additional revenue stream for said creators.
- Longer Video Uploads - Twitter Blue will allow you to upload videos that are up to 10 minutes long, potentially changing the use of the platform.
- 1080p video - This one seems like a small one, but as technology develops, 720p is severley lacking against the 4k capabilities that most smartphones are working with now.
- Undo Tweet - This will put a barrier between pressing post and the post going out to the world. Twitter Blue will allow you to set a buffer and choose which of your Tweets you'd like to have this option on, possibly preventing or reducing 'rash' Tweets made in the heat of the moment.
Extras
This one seems to be a little bit more about UX (User Experience) than anything else, allowing subscribers to choose a custom navigation on the app, set a colour theme for their in-app Twitter experience and choose exclusive app icons.
The 'checkmark'
Up until this last week, the 'checkmark' more commonly known as the Blue Tick, was reserved for high-profile, verified users such as government figures, news outlets, celebrities and more. However, this has changed.
As part of the Twitter Blue subscription, subscribers will now be granted the Blue Tick as a sign that their account is verified - however, from our experience, there is absolutely no verification at all - only a payment of £6.99 per month!
What does this update mean for my business?
Twitter Blue, in its current form, is in a relative infancy so at the moment it's yet to be seen. However, there are signs that this could be the way Twitter goes as a platform, in terms of requiring a subscription.
There are already suggestions that algorithms wil prioritise veritfied accounts in the feed to promote a 'higher-quality Twitter where people can join and engage safely on [the] platform'.
We'll be trialling a Twitter Blue subscription to see if there are any notable changes with regards to reach, engagement etc. and will be advising further in due course.
