Twitter announces monetization features, including crypto tips
Twitter听is rolling out a Tips feature that lets users send and receive one-time payments using third-party services,听it听announced听on听Sept. 23.听听
The social media platform听is听also听adding听recording听and replay听functions听to听Spaces听(live听audio听conversations听on Twitter);听Super Follows, which allows听creators with large followings to earn an income; and听a safety mode for auto-blocking accounts similar to the ones users have already blocked.听
鈥淥ur first purpose is to serve the public conversation,鈥 said Kayvon听Beykpour, Twitter鈥檚 head of consumer product, at the virtual event.听鈥淧ublic conversation is important because it helps people learn, solve problems, and realize that we鈥檙e all in this together.鈥听
TIPS听
听lets听users听worldwide听send and receive one-time payments using third-party services such as Venmo,听Patreon, and GoFundMe. Users in the US and El Salvador can also give and听receive Bitcoin tips through听, a payments application built on the Bitcoin Lightning Network. An account has turned on Tips if a paper money icon can be seen next to the Follow button on the profile page.听听
鈥淭witter wants everyone to have access to pathways to get paid,鈥澨齭aid听product lead for creator monetization Esther Crawford.听鈥淒igital currencies that allow more people to participate in the economy, across borders, and with as little friction as possible, help us get there.鈥听
Tips is available worldwide on iOS, with Android coming soon.听
SUPER FOLLOWS听
Creators with devoted followings will be provided an outlet to听鈥渢urn followers into fans, and fans into funds鈥澨齮hrough听, which is being听tested听in听a small group of creators on iOS in the US.听
鈥淲e see a huge opportunity [for these creators] to earn additional income directly from people who appreciate and value their content the most,鈥 Mr.听Beykpour听said.听
Through Super Follows, a monthly subscription service,听creators can听charge for听exclusive access to content听such as behind-the-scenes thoughts and private conversations; newsletters will likewise be pushed forward for writers to gain a following.听
SPACES听
Recording and replays of Spaces, a feature that allows users to have live audio conversations on the platform, will be听available听soon.听听is also being rolled out to give hosts the option of setting prices and audience size to get compensated for the experiences they create.听
鈥淒ifferent people want to talk in different ways,鈥 Ms. Crawford said.听 鈥淲e want to enable everyone on Twitter to express themselves however they feel most comfortable. We need to expand expression beyond 280 characters.鈥听
Spaces听has been used听by听actors to听answer questions from fans听and by听reporters recapping the latest news stories. It鈥檚 also been used for听talent shows听featuring aspiring singers.听
COMMUNITIES听
Users with similar interests can congregate on Twitter听. Tweets can be sent directly to community members, although these will still be publicly visible. Available on iOS and the web, users听听and moderate their own community, but can鈥檛 currently join one unless invited by a moderator or another member.听
Communities are being tested around popular topics such as听dogs, weather, sneakers, skincare, and astrology, according to听a recent blog post by听Twitter staff product manager David Regan.听听听听
SAFETY MODE听
The听听feature decentralizes controls and auto-block accounts similar to the ones users have already blocked. The feature is being tested on a small group on iOS, Android, and Twitter.com, beginning with accounts that have English-language settings enabled.听
鈥淧eople are only going to talk on Twitter if they feel comfortable doing听so,鈥 Mr.听Beykpour听said. 鈥淥ne way we enable this is by empowering people to control who they want to hear from and talk to, and on what terms.鈥听
Other safety features in the pipeline are word filters so users can remove unwanted speech in their replies, and prompts that allow users to know who are in a particular discussion so they can decide whether they want to jump in or not.听鈥斕Patricia B. Mirasol听
