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Musk Outlines New $8 Per Month Twitter Blue Package, Including Verification Ticks

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Twitter Announces Price Hike for Twitter Blue Subscriptions

It seems that Elon Musk wasn’t trolling when he suggested charging $20 per month for a blue verified tick.

As per Musk’ most recent tweets on his reformation of the platform, Musk now says that they’re planning to offer verification ticks to all users for $8 per month, to combat the class divide in the app.

Taking on the class divide by charging people $96 per year to highlight the amount of expendable income that they have is a fairly odd take, but I guess, when you’re worth $223 billion, everything is cheap, right?

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But that’s not all. If you are willing to pay for this new, $8 per month, verification tier of Twitter Blue, you’ll also get:

  • Priority in replies, mentions and search
  • Ability to post long video and audio
  • Half as many ads
  • Paywall bypass for selected publishers

The final element relates to the already present ‘ad-free articles’ element of the Twitter Blue package, which, interestingly, Twitter has also canceled, with participating publishers sent this notification overnight.

Starting tomorrow, we will stop displaying the “Twitter Blue Publisher” label on any Tweets containing your articles. We will no longer be sending a Twitter Blue token when people on Twitter access articles from your properties. This will prevent the ad-free experience on your site from loading.

I guess Musk didn’t like some of the participating publishers, or he wants to give publishers a chance to agree to new terms before the release of his updated Twitter Blue package?

I don’t know, but what we do now know is that Musk is looking to eliminate a perceived class system on Twitter by giving people who can afford to pay their own blue checkmarks, as well as the capacity to get their tweets seen by even more people than the freeloading ‘peasants’.

Which is an utterly confusing solution, if this is the actual problem Elon’s looking to solve for.

The other side is that Musk sees this revised Twitter Blue process as being a way to combat bots and trolls, by making it cost-prohibitive for troll farms to operate, and eliminating the use of verified profiles for scams.

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Some scammers have been able to purchase blue ticks from previously approved users (or via internal connections), which then adds extra heft to their initiatives, while changing a fee, as Musk has noted in the past, would enable Twitter to ‘authenticate all real humans’ in the app. Because bots can’t pay, and if all the real people get authenticated (i.e. pay $8 per month to use the app), then the divide, in Musk’s eyes, will no longer be rich and poor, but human and bot, so you can more easily identify the scam profiles in the app.

Which is stupid. For one, nobody’s going to pay $100 per year to use Twitter for a couple of extra features – or more correctly, while some will pay, few people are going to pay to participate in a more exclusive Twitter platform, where the folk who are well off enough to afford it get priority, and everyone else is relegated to the shadows.

That’s not a path to growth, and when the shysters and grifters and Web3 rich kids realize that they can dominate the app by simply paying to get their messages seen by more people, the conversations is going to get really boring, really fast.

Here’s what’ll happen: Around half of Twitter’s 238 million daily active users will reduce their usage of app straight away. They’ll then move on to other apps to stay informed, and as they do, more engaging conversations will start happening in other places, and the people who stayed on Twitter will start to stray to these other apps as well, as a means to stay up on what’s happening. Twitter will get more and more flooded with people looking to use it as a megaphone for their ‘thought leadership’, and more regular users, especially younger audiences, will keep migrating away to other, more vibrant, more inclusive conversations.

If this is implemented, and it’s maintained for some time, while some people will pay, it’s a path to obsolescence for the app, as it will spark new alternatives for breaking news and discussion in other places.

But Musk seems convinced that subscriptions are a key path forward, both as a revenue lever and as a tool to combat spam/bots. And it seems that he is at least going to give this a shot – though it seems flawed from the outset.

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Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?

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Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?

In a recent announcement, Snapchat revealed a groundbreaking update that challenges its traditional design ethos. The platform is experimenting with an option that allows users to defy the 24-hour auto-delete rule, a feature synonymous with Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging model.

The proposed change aims to introduce a “Never delete” option in messaging retention settings, aligning Snapchat more closely with conventional messaging apps. While this move may blur Snapchat’s distinctive selling point, Snap appears convinced of its necessity.

According to Snap, the decision stems from user feedback and a commitment to innovation based on user needs. The company aims to provide greater flexibility and control over conversations, catering to the preferences of its community.

Currently undergoing trials in select markets, the new feature empowers users to adjust retention settings on a conversation-by-conversation basis. Flexibility remains paramount, with participants able to modify settings within chats and receive in-chat notifications to ensure transparency.

Snapchat underscores that the default auto-delete feature will persist, reinforcing its design philosophy centered on ephemerality. However, with the app gaining traction as a primary messaging platform, the option offers users a means to preserve longer chat histories.

The update marks a pivotal moment for Snapchat, renowned for its disappearing message premise, especially popular among younger demographics. Retaining this focus has been pivotal to Snapchat’s identity, but the shift suggests a broader strategy aimed at diversifying its user base.

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This strategy may appeal particularly to older demographics, potentially extending Snapchat’s relevance as users age. By emulating features of conventional messaging platforms, Snapchat seeks to enhance its appeal and broaden its reach.

Yet, the introduction of message retention poses questions about Snapchat’s uniqueness. While addressing user demands, the risk of diluting Snapchat’s distinctiveness looms large.

As Snapchat ventures into uncharted territory, the outcome of this experiment remains uncertain. Will message retention propel Snapchat to new heights, or will it compromise the platform’s uniqueness?

Only time will tell.

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Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach

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Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach

While it is tempting to try to appeal to a broad audience, the founder of alcohol-free coaching service Just the Tonic, Sandra Parker, believes the best thing you can do for your business is focus on your niche. Here’s how she did just that.

When running a business, reaching out to as many clients as possible can be tempting. But it also risks making your marketing “too generic,” warns Sandra Parker, the founder of Just The Tonic Coaching.

“From the very start of my business, I knew exactly who I could help and who I couldn’t,” Parker told My Biggest Lessons.

Parker struggled with alcohol dependence as a young professional. Today, her business targets high-achieving individuals who face challenges similar to those she had early in her career.

“I understand their frustrations, I understand their fears, and I understand their coping mechanisms and the stories they’re telling themselves,” Parker said. “Because of that, I’m able to market very effectively, to speak in a language that they understand, and am able to reach them.” 

“I believe that it’s really important that you know exactly who your customer or your client is, and you target them, and you resist the temptation to make your marketing too generic to try and reach everyone,” she explained.

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“If you speak specifically to your target clients, you will reach them, and I believe that’s the way that you’re going to be more successful.

Watch the video for more of Sandra Parker’s biggest lessons.

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Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement

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Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement

Instagram’s testing out some new options to help spice up your live-streams in the app, with some live broadcasters now able to select a game that they can play with viewers in-stream.

As you can see in these example screens, posted by Ahmed Ghanem, some creators now have the option to play either “This or That”, a question and answer prompt that you can share with your viewers, or “Trivia”, to generate more engagement within your IG live-streams.

That could be a simple way to spark more conversation and interaction, which could then lead into further engagement opportunities from your live audience.

Meta’s been exploring more ways to make live-streaming a bigger consideration for IG creators, with a view to live-streams potentially catching on with more users.

That includes the gradual expansion of its “Stars” live-stream donation program, giving more creators in more regions a means to accept donations from live-stream viewers, while back in December, Instagram also added some new options to make it easier to go live using third-party tools via desktop PCs.

Live streaming has been a major shift in China, where shopping live-streams, in particular, have led to massive opportunities for streaming platforms. They haven’t caught on in the same way in Western regions, but as TikTok and YouTube look to push live-stream adoption, there is still a chance that they will become a much bigger element in future.

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Which is why IG is also trying to stay in touch, and add more ways for its creators to engage via streams. Live-stream games is another element within this, which could make this a better community-building, and potentially sales-driving option.

We’ve asked Instagram for more information on this test, and we’ll update this post if/when we hear back.

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