We’re back with our April edition of the Bolt. For this month’s edition, we’re taking a look at the recent buzz surrounding Twitter, specifically Twitter Blue.
TLDR: Twitter Blue, AKA the “check mark subscription,” has been relaunched. Now marketers must make the decision: will they or won’t they pay $8 a month for a blue or gold checkmark for their brand?
Since 2007, Twitter has been the go-to platform for ad people to share real-time info and jump into conversations with their audiences. But now six months after taking ownership, Elon Musk has made some sweeping changes to how people interact with Twitter.
Here’s what you need to know…
What even is Twitter Blue?
Originally Twitter Blue was launched in 2021 to allow users to scroll ad-free, edit tweets, and more. But now, it has been relaunched with a new angle.
And these changes are…?
Twitter has removed legacy verified check marks from profiles and is now requiring users to purchase an $8 per month subscription to maintain that verified status. Gone are the days when a check mark purely meant status. Now a blue check mark means a user has opted in to keep their credibility and take advantage of the range of creator tools.
Twitter is also piloting a new service called Twitter Verified Organizations, which adds a gold checkmark to verified business accounts and an affiliated badge to associated accounts. Amazon, Target, and Walmart are just a few players to now have this gold badge on their profile.
Probably the most talked about, is the prioritization of Twitter Blue user’s tweets. Now only Twitter Blue accounts will be on your For You Feed and their content will be prioritized by the algorithm, creating a new obstacle for organic content from non-verified accounts. It’s also worth noting that as of April 21, accounts must subscribe to continue running Twitter ads.
Should brands pay for Twitter Blue?
Well, the choice here comes down to what each brand needs. Prioritizing organic content to reach more users? Planning to run Twitter ads? Then it’s best to test a Twitter Blue subscription and see how it will help your brand’s performance. Keep in mind that the model is in a super early stage to really show data that proves its effectiveness.
With the recent emergence of the Meta Verified Program and the launch of new features for LinkedIn Premium members, we expect to see more pay-to-play models released soon.
All in all, the strategy team here at Ammunition plans to keep a pulse on the social landscape to best advise clients on how to move forward.
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