On Wednesday, Twitter launched a long-promised “Super Follows” feature that allows YouTubers to sell subscriptions to access special content.
The move came as Twitter strives to be a preferred online venue for clickable stars and grow its own income in a way that doesn’t clutter the platform with ads or promotions.
Influencers such as makeup artists or sports experts can offer their subscribers “behind the scenes” content, early access, or other perks for a fee of $ 3 to $ 10 per month.
“With Super Follows, people on Twitter can create an extra layer of conversation to authentically interact with their most dedicated followers – and make money at the same time,” said Twitter product manager Esther Crawford in a blog post.
“Creating Super Follows content is for anyone who brings their unique perspectives and personalities to Twitter to drive the public conversation.”
Crawford noted that the list of such personalities includes activists, journalists, musicians, writers, gamers, astrology enthusiasts, beauty professionals, comedians, and more.
Twitter had tested the Super Follows feature and said it was officially launched with a small group of creators in North America.
The option to follow participating YouTubers will be rolled out to users worldwide who use Twitter on Apple mobile devices in the coming weeks.
According to Crawford, the function will eventually be available on smartphones with Android software supported by Google and on the twitter.com website via browsers.
Twitter doesn’t take more than three percent of subscriptions as a transaction fee until a creator makes $ 50,000 on the platform. At this point, Twitter’s share rises to 20 percent, according to the San Francisco-based company.
App store fees, which can represent up to 30 percent of transactions, are paid by the creators who sell the subscriptions.
Twitter recently added ways for popular users to receive tips with a “tip jar” feature or earn money from online events hosted in “Ticketed Spaces”.
The company, with more than 200 million active users, is looking for new ways to generate revenue without advertising.
gc / jm
