A few days back, Twitter announced the ability for users to charge their followers for access to additional content, and the ability to create and join groups based around specific interests
(a) LAST MOVER ADVANTAGE ?
To be clear, Twitter is not the first platform to make this move. Facebook (see below visual) and YouTube also allow monthly fees to creators but what makes this different is the 'ecosystem' that Twitter is planning. Noteworthy mentions : 'Twitter Spaces' - the audio based 'Clubhouse' styled networking project and the native newsletter feature being planned. (Twitter Spaces + Native Newsletter + Super Follow facility ) looks like a good plan for the B2B influencers who are found on Twitter.
(b) FIRST SET OF PEOPLE WHO COULD USE THIS
The first set of people who could use this would be thought leaders and influencers in the B2B space. For example, I used a tool a simple tool to find out the top influencers in cyber security in the world. These are influencers who have a high number of followers and a certain percentage of them can be tapped for 'Super Follow'
(c) VALUE ADD TO YOUR PREMIUM SUSCRIBERS FOR THE 'LATEST UPDATES'
For other brands who are offering paid subscriptions, is could be a way to offer it as a value add for their paid members. In a scenario, where your target audience is already on Twitter, this would be a convenient way of them accessing your latest content. Say if you are a company who is having a premium equity advisory offering, then the 'latest' market related tips offering can be delivered through Super Follow where the rest of the content delivery continues to happen through your web/app channel.
(D) HMM, WHAT ABOUT PATREON ?
Patreon is the leader but more for entertainers and artists.
(E) NEWS PUBLISHERS ANGLE
Digital Publishers could use this to broad base their paid subscribers business. Given the pressures in ad pricing and data privacy issues, these monetization routes would be worth evaluating. The newspaper industry is anyways in the middle of making a case to Google that their revenues have been disrupted because of intermediation by Google.
(F) MAKE NO MISTAKE, SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE :)
Platforms may change their policies. The importance of owning your follower data does not change. Email and Phone numbers still remain the fool proof way of being in touch with your prospects. Some things just don't change :)
Comments