If you’ve talked to many people about Twitter lately, then you’ve likely heard more about Elon Musk than the exciting, innovative features the Twitter team has shipped, tech-talk for releasing a feature or product.
While the Twitter-Musk debacle plays out in court, the team at Twitter has doubled-down on creating and releasing features that cater directly to the rising and ever-changing “creator economy.” Today, people are increasingly turning to their favorite social media platforms in hopes of finding fame, creating a career, or supplementing their income with a side hustle from creating content.
For content creators who once saw minimal options to showcase their talent or content, Twitter has evolved. In the last 18 months alone, the platform has unveiled and publicly built new features with creators at the core.
Whether an upcoming content creator or established personality with millions of followers, Twitter has leveled the playing field for creators of all sizes with feature releases that allow micro to major creators not only to be seen but also to be heard. Alongside an increased investment in social audio, the Twitter team has heavily focused on the importance of collaborating and community building recently.
With intuitive development and a “build-in-public” motto, Twitter has stepped up in the arena of social listening. Coupled with direct feedback from their beta testers, the team regularly hosts audio-only, public Q&A sessions on Twitter Spaces to connect with creators of all backgrounds, locations, and purpose.
After attending several public Q&A Twitter Spaces, we’ve been able to learn about newer features while getting a glimpse of what’s around the corner for content creators. If you’re considering creating a community, finding another audience, or a different way to engage your audience, then Twitter’s suite of content creator tools will serve you well.
Twitter — while still a source of breaking news and witty banter — has started to show that it too can cater to content creators looking to start anew or build on an existing audience.
Naturally as a tech company, Twitter regularly experiments with features, audience engagement, and releases beta versions for people to play with. While we could look at many, our favorite features, thus far, are Twitter Spaces, CoTweets, and Communities.
Want to know the ins and outs of each feature and how to use? We’ve got you covered.
1. Twitter Spaces
This is one of the chief features Twitter has released, and we’ll focus on how creators are pairing it with both beta and live features.
While the beta launched in late 2020, Twitter Spaces — commonly just called Spaces — garnerd huge attention in during its public debut in mid-summer to fall of 2021. Spaces is an audio platform that is open to all Twitter users, and it allows for open discussions on topics ranging from politics, weather, and mindfulness to mental health check-ins, tech releases, and even dog-themed chats for fans of our furry friends.
At Linq Magazine, we love that Spaces gives a voice to people from all walks of life around the globe. Why? It makes our world a little smaller, and it allows users to walk away with information, inspiration, and in some cases, even transformation.
Social audio is on the rise, and Spaces shows why its users are loyal and committed to using it to build their long-term communities and audiences.
One user created an account involving his two dogs, Bunsen and Beaker that’s amassed over 145K followers by utilizing Twitter Spaces, along with Twitter Communities. One of many examples that prove by combining features, creators can get more out of the platform rather than by by focusing on one product or feature.
Spaces as a method of science communication and science education has been a game changer. We bring scientists to Twitter in a fun and accessible way that you don’t need to get dressed up to attend…Our followers have heard from cosmologists to biologists. Spaces have also allowed us to bring together the pet community on Twitter, sharing stories, both triumphant and fun, but also finding comfort in the stories of pet loss together. Storytelling is a powerful method of communication.
–Jason Zackowski, Chemistry teacher, Podcaster, Dog-dad to Bunsen & Beaker
Indeed, other Twitter Space creators have shared their thoughts on the feature as well. Australian podcaster and Twitter Spaces host Keith Keller focuses on getting the most from each feature. Lately, he’s utilized the “Chat” option within Twitter Spaces that some users are testing to extend the conversation beyond live-audio chat, while helping gain replays of Twitter Spaces for those who can’t attend. By doing this, Keller is offering a live-engagement and podcast-like feel for those who record their Spaces. Keller explains how the Chat feature has helped him keep the conversation going with listeners, even after the program has ended.
The chat feature is a Game Changer. What I do is add the link at the end of the chat so people listening to the replay can read the comments as well.
–Keith Keller, Podcaster
Many users and Twitter Spaces hosts have noted that the social audio features is changing the conversation on Twitter and among users.
Twitter Spaces has brought the art of conversation to the platform in a way commenting on threads was lacking. We are building communities faster; with deeper intentions in a far more personal way. I’m here for it!
–Graciela Moore, Author and Coach
Others have seen the potential in combining features to “network” via the platform.
Some people see Twitter Spaces as a place to use creative ways to connect and be seen by celebrities or figures that may otherwise have once been unaccessible or out of reach.
Take screenshots or video of Twitter Spaces you attend. Send them to the main speakers and thank them for a specific story or tip that really impacted you…I’ve landed some huge follow backs from 100K+ to 1M accounts who rarely follow anyone back. All you have to do is infuse your personality, add value and show appreciation…Networking is all about reciprocated value.
–Samantha Postman, Speaker and Mindset Entrepreneur
2. Communities
One of the most anticipated releases has been Twitter Communities. Per Twitter’s explanation, “Twitter Communities were created to give people a dedicated place to connect, share, and get closer to the discussions they care about most.”
This product allows the community to be created and moderated by users on Twitter. Anyone can see public communities, but only those who are a part of the community can engage. This encourages people to join communities on topics they would like to have deeper conversations on shared through the community timeline.
Many hosts use both Twitter Spaces and Communities to build their brand and bring enhanced value to others.
Joselin Mane is a great example of someone who uses many of Twitter’s features to foster his growing community and help people network with one another.
Community manager, Simon B, had this to say about Mane.
Mane started the Creator Community to help creators of all types learn ways to monetize their content. I moderate this community with Joselin, and we utilize many of the latest features — such as CoTweets — where we collaborate on a tweet promoting our upcoming Twitter Spaces to show up on both of our feeds as one tweet. Similar to Keith Keller, we use the Chat feature to help listeners engage with the recorded playback long after the live space has ended. We’ve also been able to include our non-verbal users in our “Spaces Chat” by giving them an avenue to share their opinions, tips, and questions in real-time just like the speakers.
Another way we’ve used Communities along with Spaces is by holding weekly Twitter Spaces chats to feature members, share traditional or trending tips, resources for creators, interview CEOs of creator startups, and we’ve created a spinoff for another Twitter Space I co-host with Mane called the “Creator Pushback.” In this Twitter Space, we expound on the topics that are brought up in the community chats and encourage users to voice opinions on “their” creator process, tools, and ideas by “pushing back” on material we’ve shared. It is our hope that people will learn to share and discuss topics respectfully while still maintaining passion. This is one example of a Twitter Space fueling another by creating trust, value, and a constant stream of members engaging both the chats and Communities.
Another Twitter Space host echoed this sentiment of using Spaces in combination with Communities to reach and deepen your relationship with your audience.
Spaces can be used to cement your community on Twitter far above and beyond what the platform’s Community function allows. Spaces should be considered the primary means of forming and connecting with your community while the Twitter Community feed and the recently added ability to pin Tweets can facilitate drawing further people into your Spaces.
–Dr. M., Physician, Consultant & Founder of ThoughtWorks
3. CoTweets
This is in experiment mode and is only currently available to a select group. It may end at any time and CoTweets could be deleted.
Twitter’s latest experiment allows two authors to create a shared Tweet to reach both audiences, showcase their new projects, or upcoming Twitter Spaces. That’s right, CoTweets are here! CoTweeting will also allow the Tweet to be shared between the accounts to avoid splitting likes, retweets, and engagement.
While still an experiment, those who have the feature are making the most of it!
Some think CoTweets are synonymous to quote tweets: not at all. This feature allows one to choose another like-minded individual, present a message both parties endorse, therefore adding creative content and celebrating social media cohesion.
–Ron Perry, Musician & Podcaster “Ron’s Show”
Celebrity GIF artist, tech writer, and creator of Twitter’s largest Community, with over 25K members in Design Twitter, Nicholas Mauro has championed all of Twitter’s latest features since the Twitter Spaces Beta. Accessing this latest feature, he’s setting his excitement on CoTweets.
CoTweets allows for creators and brands to collaborate and share the spotlight. CoTweets are a fun way to not only market yourself but also connect to other users’ audiences. I’ve had some major collabs using CoTweets lately that lead to me broadening my audience and reach to potential followers.
–Nicholas Mauro
A few ways features can be combined for marketing and exposure:
- Use CoTweets to create a post promoting your Twitter Space with your co-host or guest speakers.
- Use CoTweets to collaborate with others in your industry to gain exposure to your content, community and Spaces.
- Use CoTweets to collaborate with a brand on free, trade or paid sponsored content
- Use Spaces to start highlighting members of your community or weekly topics your community has chosen.
- CoTweet your community Space with your co-host.
- Use Communities for social listening to get an idea of what your members would like to hear in your Spaces.
- CoTweet with community members to gain exposure to different accounts.
- Use Spaces to hold community meetups to gain more direction from members themselves.
- Use Spaces to collaborate with community members who may want to sponsor a space.
- Use Communities to form deeper connections within the community timeline to find other creators to collaborate or co host Spaces on topics relevant to your members.
- Use Spaces to allow your community members a voice to showcase their experience by speaking, teaching or supporting other creators.
- Utilize moderators to help cohost Spaces for the Community to offer a more “team-like” vibe to the community
- If you have access to Ticketed Spaces, you can offer value in masterclasses, speeches or talks within Spaces to your community members who are willing to pay for bonus content.
Bonus
Twitter is also testing a feature that is a form of adding a “status” or “vibe.”
This feature has rolled out to a select group of users and allows creators to utilize the status to show what the vibe of your tweet is going to be.
I am personally excited to use some of the topics like “Photo of the day” and “Thread” feature to add to my tweets.
Below is a preview and we will be sharing more soon on how creators can use this feature!
With Twitter launching projects at rocket speed, the Linq Magazine team is excited to cover Twitter’s latest new features, how creators use them, and how you can benefit from combining them.
Naturally, the best part about being a creator is getting to be creative! So no matter what feature is your favorite or if there are new ones to explore, don’t forget to dive deep trying new ways to break, test, combine, and utilize the products and features that both excite and inspire you to create more.
If Twitter’s dedication to helping content creators amplify their voices has taught us anything, it’s that anything is possible.
Do you have a favorite feature? Are there new ways you’ve found to engage your audience? Questions about how best to start creating? Join the discussion.