Twitter Blue: What to Expect as a New Subscription Product?

Twitter Blue: A Subscription Product Solution to Twitter’s Revenue

Twitter, undeniably, is a global phenomenon. However, it is a common complaint that Twitter users still don’t have all the power features for their daily tweeting needs.

But, things are about to change as Twitter gears up for a major upgrade with its Twitter Blue, a paid subscription product for the app. Twitter appears to listen to its followers: it reportedly has developed solutions for its users that will give them what they wanted for the longest time, such as access to exclusive features that will let them experience Twitter like never before.

Before diving deep into Twitter Blue’s new features, here’s a piece of quick background information on Twitter’s plans for getting ahead of the profit game.

Twitter’s Plan for a New Revenue Stream

It turns out, subscription products like Twitter Blue are not a new idea. Offering a paid subscription service is something that the company has been considering for quite some time now.

This significant change to its business model highlights the need to shift to another means for generating profit since, previously, Twitter has mainly relied on advertising for its revenue.

Keeping Up With the Socmed Rivals

A subscription product is part of a plan which is given a high priority due to the pandemic and pressure from investors to accelerate growth for Twitter to keep up with its rivals like Facebook and Snapchat.

Social networking apps usually stay free to encourage user growth and engagement. As a result, this lack of profit gets subsidized with paid marketing posts.

If you didn’t know, most of Twitter’s revenue is from targeted advertising. Target advertising works on aiming promoted posts at specific users from different sub-groups. But, this business model has made Twitter grow at a slower pace than its competitors.

Struggle with Subscription Products

In Twitter’s case, a subscription option of some kind will not just offer sales “durability,” but also a recurring revenue stream that is more promising, as it is more consistent than ads.

Subscriptions have always been a compelling alternative to advertising. Twitter has beaten around subscription ideas for years as it struggled with the idea of charging any of its features.

At the same time, as it mulled over this new idea of a new revenue stream, competitors like Facebook rejected the idea as well. In addition, there is also fear that a subscription product might betray the idea of free, open use that Twitter’s CEO, Jack Dorsey, envisions.

Testing Paid Subscription Plans

Twitter finally got over its fears of starting a new revenue stream, and its paid subscription plan manifested through Twitter Blue. Its first subscribers will be social media marketers as well as agencies that manage accounts of influential people.

Starting this June, the first rolling out of Twitter Blue has already occurred in Australia and Canada. According to Twitter officials, this initial phase aims to understand what will make users’ Twitter experience more customized, expressive, and “speaking.”

What’s New with Twitter Blue

A Twitter Blue subscription, which is an initial set of features developed based on feedback, entails a set of exclusive features and perks, which include the following:

Bookmark Folders

An easy way to better organize your saved content allows you to organize the Tweets you’ve saved by letting you have content management controls.

Undo Tweet

This feature allows you to revise your Tweet before going live if you had a typo or forgot to tag someone. With Undo Tweet, you are allowed to set a customizable timer of up to 30 seconds to click ‘Undo’ before your Tweet gets sent.

Reader Mode

A more beautiful reading experience will make it easier for you to browse long Twitter threads by turning them into easy-to-read text that allows you to read content seamlessly.

User Customization

Customizable app icons for their device’s home screen and fun colour themes for their Twitter app are also available through Twitter Blue.

Pricing

If you subscribe, you will get all these features CAD 3.49 or AUD 4.49 monthly. Twitter Blue will be first available in its supported markets on iOS only.

Pooling More Revenues

Twitter emphasized that the launch of Twitter Blue doesn’t mean that the free version of Twitter would change or be gone. Twitter Blue adds enhancements and complementary features to Twitter’s free version to upgrade a user’s existing Twitter experience.

Twitter wouldn’t say, however, when Twitter Blue will arrive in the U.S. or other markets. But, its former behaviour can be analyzed for some context, though, when Twitter launched Fleets first in spring 2020 and didn’t roll out this feature globally until November. We can’t be sure if Twitter Blue would follow a similar path, as Twitter declined to comment.

Twitter has reportedly struggled to grow its user base over the years. As a result, it started focusing on generating more money from its loyal users instead. These user experience upgrade plans will include offering tools to creators, including the Super Follow subscription and Twitter Blue.

But, it seems like the subscription service isn’t just a way to serve Twitter’s power users better. Rather, it’s more of a way to deviate from its current reliance on advertising revenue as Twitter’s only source of profit.

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