Twitter Adds New Prompts to Start a Space From Within the Tweet Reply Flow

Twitter is really keen to get people using Spaces, which it seems convinced is a key avenue to help it improve engagement and interaction in the app.

After already adding new Spaces buttons within the tweet composer and retweet flow, putting the option right up front when engaging with a tweet, it’s now also testing an even more overt prompt to get people to start a space, with a new note at the bottom of the tweet reply composer now being shown to some Android users.

As you can see in these example screens, the new process looks to get more people starting an audio conversation based on a tweet, with the original tweet then added to the Space title, which anyone can then tap through on to listen in.

As noted, it’s the latest in Twitter’s big push to get more users engaging in audio rooms, which, at least theory, could be a valuable accompaniment to the tweet experience, with the real-time nature of the tweet feed leading into serendipitous conversation and engagement.

But thus far, it’s hard to say how effective Spaces has been in this respect.

Most of the broadcasts displayed in its dedicated Spaces tab aren’t attracting significant audience numbers, and unless you’re into NFTs and/or crypto, there doesn’t seem to be a heap there of interest.

Twitter hasn’t provided any specific stats on Spaces usage, and nor is it likely to amid its current leadership turmoil – but CEO Parag Agrawal did note recently that the company had not hit intermediate milestones on its growth plans, based on its investment in new functionalities, which includes Spaces, Communities and Twitter Blue.

That could be seen as an indicator that Spaces hasn’t taken off as Twitter hoped that it might. And with the Clubhouse-led social audio boom now almost entirely finished, it doesn’t really feel like Spaces is going to become a key engagement element any time soon.

But then again, given its ongoing investment in the option, that would suggest that Twitter is seeing at least some positive signs, which could indicate that there is a place for audio engagement in the app.

Again, it does seem to fit, theoretically, and maybe Twitter’s hoping that these types of prompts and pushes can spark ongoing interest in the option, and expand usage of the app.

We’ll have to wait for more data from Twitter to make any real conclusions, but definitely, it seems dedicated to giving Spaces every opportunity to succeed.