5 Twitter updates to be happy about
There have been a few really nice updates from Twitter recently that are creating new opportunities for brands and taking positive steps for users.
1. Single images will no longer be cropped on your timeline
Well, hurrah!*
Previously, you could only view full-size images by clicking on the cropped image. And of course, lots of people wouldn’t bother. So now you can upload your 16:9 or 4:3 ratio images (in 4k now too!) and other users will view the whole image in all its brilliance. So when you compose your tweet, what you see at this stage will be what others see after it’s published.
*social media managers everywhere do a little happy dance.
2. Reducing offensive and harmful tweets and ‘review this before tweeting’
A new prompt is being rolled out asking users to rethink abusive tweets. Twitter’s algorithms will flag tweets that are believed to be potentially “harmful or offensive”. The message will check with the author: “want to review this before tweeting?” and give them the option to edit, delete or send.
They’ve been testing this for a while now and claim that it’s already made a substantial impact.
Following the prompt to review, Twitter claims that:
34% of people edited their initial reply or deleted it altogether and 11% fewer offensive replies were sent.
We think this is a positive step and clever use of AI. Sure, it’s bound to flag some harmless content and general banter using ‘certain language’ but we’d imagine the AI learning over time will learn to understand the context and the relationship between two users to improve its results. If it helps to make more people pause and think about the intent and potential consequence of their reply, then it’s a winner in our book.
3. Curb misinformation and ‘Read before you Retweet’
Last year, in an effort to “encourage meaningful discussions” on its platform and reduce misinformation, Twitter launched a prompt encouraging users to read an article before they retweeted it.
They reported more reading - articles were opened 40% more often following the prompt, and more informed tweeting (which is the whole point) with 33% more article opening followed by a retweet.
4. Support others on Twitter with ‘Tip Jar’
Yesterday, Twitter introduced Tip Jar, a new way for people to send and receive money in an effort to “support the incredible voices that make up the conversation on Twitter.”
If an account has tip jar enabled (and this will take a while to roll out so it won’t be everywhere yet), you’ll see a tip jar icon on their profile next to the follow button. This will link to payment services including Bandcamp, Cash App, Patreon, PayPal, and Venmo. And Twitter has been clear - they are not taking a cut.
This is exciting news for nonprofits, creators, journalists, and many others!
5. Have live audio conversations with ‘Spaces’
Last year Twitter launched Spaces and this week it became available to anyone with 600 followers or more. If that’s you, you can host a ‘Space’; an audio-only chat room for up to 11 speakers, and unlimited guests.
So if you’re still waiting for that invitation to Clubhouse, maybe take a look!
Some really great updates from Twitter to get excited about.
Still no edit button though… 😫
