Twitter recently announced major changes on the platform, introducing two new features that will pique the interest of brands and Influencers alike.

Both the features are aimed at creating more niche Communities within the platform. One of them has got a lot of us particularly interested, and it’s called Super Follows. Super Follows basically allows Twitter users to share exclusive content, newsletters, and access to exclusive communities, gated by a paid subscription model.

Apps supporting direct payment to content creators have seen a lot of success in recent years. Snapchat premium, Patreon, and OnlyFans are noteworthy examples in the segment. Even companies like YouTube, Facebook, and GitHub have implemented direct payment features for some of their creators.

Twitter also announced the launch of “Communities,” another feature that allows users to easily find and join interest-based groups. This follows the experiment with Twitter Spaces – the audio format platform that allows users to host audio-only discussions, similar to competitor apps like Clubhouse. All these trends show Twitter’s progress roadmap is to move beyond just an online discussion platform and give creators more weapons to monetize their content on the platf0rm.

Twitter has not yet released the price point for the Super Follows feature or any details regarding revenue share. Still, it is likely to follow the same format as competitors like Patreon, OnlyFans, or Twitch. Mockup previews used for the launch displayed a $4.99 price point.

The Super Follow feature should get influencers excited, as it’s one more opportunity to monetize their content. Competitors like Patreon and Snapchat premium allow influencers more control over their content, also giving them the power to realize revenue from their communities.

Here’s why we think Super Follows will be an exciting feature for online creators and influencer marketing as a whole.

Monetizing Content

Monetization is the most obvious benefit of Super Follows. Influencers who rely on other platforms to generate revenue with their content can now look at Twitter as a possible option. It also opens avenues for users with engaged and ardent followings on Twitter to now monetize their content. Exclusive content and community are the key benefits that Super Follows offers, which are great perks for getting their followers to sign up. It would also not be amiss to assume that we may start seeing some of the regular Twitter features being enhanced for influencers. Perhaps longer character limits on tweets or native video perhaps? The future looks exciting!

Creating Niche Communities

The Super Follows feature will allow influencers to create niche communities on the platform. These communities are focused exclusively on the content and style of the influencer and can foster stronger relationships with their audience. For influencers, this engaged community can be later monetized with brand collaborations and content collaborations.

The Super Follows community sees real value behind the content that influencers create, which naturally contributes to building a much more engaged community. Twitter’s statements also mention the possibility of engaging this audience with newsletters, which would provide influencers with an additional set of tools to engage with their followers.

An Opportunity For New Influencers

Though there are many influencers on Twitter, most of them rely on other platforms for monetizing their content. Super Follows allows them to use Twitter not just as a promotion medium but as a monetization platform.

This would provide content creators with an opportunity to convert more followers into paid subscribers. Super Follows would also give content creators a new avenue to derive tangible value for their work and expand their influence beyond a few Tweets.

How To Plan For Super Follows

What the future holds for Super Follows – and how the feature will impact brands and influencer marketing – is difficult to predict. As it pertains to influencers, the first thing is to identify if Super Follows is actually something you can and should do. We think the answer to those questions comes from taking stock of the type of content you create and the following you already have on Twitter. Figure out if your audience would be willing to make monthly payments for exclusive content, badges, community, or newsletters.

Once you have a fair assessment of the kind of content and the audience preferences, you can start planning. If we go by the premium content features on other platforms, consistency and value are the two most important things to make a mark as an influencer. Plan out your content calendar so that you can give your audience consistent content that they value.

How Is Social Media Responding?

“Why don’t we start with why folks don’t believe in us. It comes down to three critiques: we’re slow, we’re not innovative, and we’re not trusted,” says Jack Dorsey, founder and CEO of Twitter, while announcing the new features. Super Follows is perhaps one of the more radical changes that Twitter has introduced, following the releases of features like Spaces and Fleets.

The announcement was received with mixed responses in the social media world. Many are skeptical about the feature – wondering if Twitter content has the type of value consumers are willing to pay for. As it stands, this feature is initially only slated to benefit a small number of influencers. But it has the potential to attract new creators to Twitter.

Another issue that is often talked about pertains to misinformation and online abuse. The US Congress recently grilled Jack Dorsey, along with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, regarding the issue. The conversation around online abuse and social media’s passive stance in combating it has been raging for years now. Features like Super Follows or Communities would further create environments that fringe elements can use to increase their influence and fund themselves for greater reach. We will be keeping a close eye on how Twitter manages this potential issue.

Final Thoughts

Though still very much in its infancy, the future looks bright for Super Follows. At first glance, it seems like a great opportunity for influencers and content creators to monetize their content and expand their reach and influence. It is also another step Twitter has taken to expand its scope and engagement on the platform. New content formats and niche communities are tried and true approaches that other social media platforms have already implemented to great success. And as Jack Dorsey said himself, Twitter has been “slow” to evolve its model. Super Follows is a step in the right direction.

While the company has yet to set an official release date, we can assume that it would be available sometime in 2021. We are also awaiting more details on the feature before we can understand how it works in greater detail, and also more information on the price points. On paper, Super Follows appears to be a great idea. It remains to be seen how it happens practically, and how the Twitterati are going to receive it. Only time will tell, but we will be watching intently.

We only do marketing that works.

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