SOCIAL
Twitter Announces Coming Restrictions on How Many DMs Non-Twitter Blue Users Can Send
Twitter’s trying another way to boost Twitter Blue subscriptions, this time by implementing limits on how many DMs non-subscribers can send each day.
We’ll soon be implementing some changes in our effort to reduce spam in Direct Messages. Unverified accounts will have daily limits on the number of DMs they can send. Subscribe today to send more messages: https://t.co/0CI4NTRw75
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) July 21, 2023
The main impetus for the move, as Twitter notes, is to combat DM spam, which is also the key driver behind its recent update which defaults all users to a new setting, where only verified users can send DM requests to non-followers.
If you’re seeing fewer DMs, that’d be why, with the focus, ostensibly, on reducing unwanted messages from clogging your inbox.
But a side benefit for Twitter is that it could push more people to sign-up for Twitter Blue, though the lack of communication around the change has probably lessened this, as most users probably don’t even know that the new default setting has been implemented.
And now, non-Blue subscribers will also be restricted in how many DMs they can send each day.
Which probably won’t have a huge impact on most users. I mean, Twitter hasn’t detailed exactly how many messages you’ll be able to send, but if you’re sending out more than, what, 10 or 20, you’re likely verging into spam territory anyway.
But then again, many journalists use DMs as an outreach tool for stories, and implementing restrictions could make it harder in this respect.
Though that’s still unlikely to prompt many of them to sign up to Twitter Blue, given Twitter owner Elon Musk’s repeated attacks on ‘mainstream media’, and journalists in particular, as being untrustworthy, corrupt, and worse.
The BBC interview last week was exceptional in illustrating why you cannot rely on the media for truth
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 15, 2023
That may actually end up being a key element that backfires on Musk, and his efforts to build Twitter into a billion-user ‘everything app’.
Journalists have long been among the most prominent users of the app, which has helped to boost its relevance as a key news and information source, but the more Musk works to alienate this segment of its user base, the more actively they’re seeking alternatives.
Which is why the recent influx of sign-ups for Meta’s alternative Threads app was significant. Among the most active Threaders in its early stages? Journalists, who’ve had enough of Musk’s selective view of truth, and are keen to build someplace else.
Which is why Threads could end up being a big threat, because many influential voices want it to work, and are actively and outwardly supporting the new platform.
If they keep sharing exclusive content there, and promoting it to their large audiences, where do you think those news consumers will go?
In this sense, implementing DM restrictions, depending on how far they go, could actually backfire on Twitter, as opposed to driving more Blue sign-ups.
Which remains a failing proposition. Around 0.3% of Twitter users are currently paying $8 a month for a blue tick, and the other assorted Blue features, and it’s hard to see how Musk and Co. will be able to boost that to a viable enough number for Twitter Blue to reach its stated goals of combating spam, by differentiating real people in the app.
But Musk and his team continue to push the offering, in the hopes of making it a ‘solution’, but increasingly, it seems like this was an idealistic vision which, in reality, won’t work.
Maybe DM restrictions will help, and maybe they’ll also help to combat spam. But the side effects could potentially be worse than the cure in this respect.
SOCIAL
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.
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.
SOCIAL
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.”Â
“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.
“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.
SOCIAL
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.
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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