Chapter 1: Introduction to Twitter Blue

Let the excitement commence!

A warm greeting to all creators out there! Whenever my landlord visits our apartment, my dogs always bark. They seem to think that anyone asking for money from 'mommy' — that’s me — deserves their attention. Fortunately for Elon Musk, he’s far enough away that my dogs won't be barking when my Twitter Blue subscription renews.

Indeed, I have opted for Twitter Blue, a decision that has sparked quite the debate since Musk acquired the platform for $44 billion and dismissed former CEO Parag Agrawal on his first day. The platform now requires a monthly fee for account verification, which has drawn ire from many. The idea of paying $8 a month for a blue tick horrified numerous users, including some celebrities who balked at the cost.

Initially, the fee was set at $20. The backlash was immediate, with trolls exploiting the system to impersonate others. One infamous incident involved a fake account for Eli Lilly tweeting that insulin was free, resulting in a staggering 4.3% drop in the company's stock value.

Do we really want to see Twitter go under?

In response to Stephen King’s criticism, Musk tweeted, "We need to pay the bills somehow! Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers. How about $8?" Thanks to King's influence, the price was lowered to $8, yet even billionaire LeBron James hesitates to pay for Twitter Blue. Perhaps that's the secret to their wealth — their refusal to part with even a small amount.

Unlike Twitter, platforms like Medium operate on a freemium basis, allowing users to read a few stories for free each month. The subscription fees help compensate writers, including myself.

While I sometimes struggle to meet my payment obligations, the subscription has proven valuable when I produce content that resonates with readers. This has allowed me to contemplate leaving my day job to pursue freelance writing since 2020.

Now that I am a Twitter Blue member, I need to ensure that the benefits justify the expense beyond the first month. With Musk's introduction of new features, I am optimistic about finding ways to monetize my Twitter presence.

Why not treat Twitter Blue like Medium, where the blue checkmark serves merely as a membership badge? It shouldn't require writers to sign up for membership first — nothing more, nothing less.

The new premium offerings should attract more subscribers to Twitter Blue.

Today's announcement regarding the expanded Twitter Blue features may elicit excitement or laughter. Originally limited to 140 characters, then extended to 280, subscribers can now tweet up to 10,000 characters — significantly more than the previous 4,000-character limit.

Can you fathom how many words fit into 10,000 characters? To put it into perspective, that's anywhere from 1,428 to 2,500 words, including spaces. If we exclude spaces, we're looking at between 1,666 and 3,334 words. — Source

That’s akin to a blog post with a reading time of at least six minutes. So, what interests writers and content creators about crafting lengthy tweets?

Surprisingly, Twitter is stepping into the creator economy by enabling users to offer subscription-based content to their followers, similar to platforms like OnlyFans or Substack.

The New York Times will not pay for the Twitter verified account badge - This video discusses the implications of Twitter's new subscription model on journalism and media organizations.

Chapter 2: Monetization and Content Creation

Starting today, any user with at least 500 followers can join this initiative. You can share exclusive content with your most dedicated followers and earn money monthly. This arrangement provides followers with a more personalized experience while rewarding you for your creativity — a true win-win. — TwitterMonetization

Content creators are always searching for ways to increase their revenue. This makes it essential to repurpose our work across various platforms. With Twitter's fresh monetization features, it becomes yet another avenue for creators to profit from their content, be it tweets, blogs, or videos.

It's encouraging to see a shift where creators are compensated rather than having all the profits absorbed by companies. The era of social media 1.0 is long behind us.

But can one genuinely make money on Twitter? It's too soon to say, as the monetization program is still in its early stages.

What we do know is that some creators utilize Twitter for brand visibility, directing their followers to gated content, similar to many OnlyFans creators and influencers.

Beyond being a divisive social platform, Twitter effectively amplifies a brand's message. Remember, as content creators, you are your brand, and tools like Twitter can aid us in that journey.

I envision a future where Twitter could capitalize on video content more effectively. If it had developed Vine further, it might have evolved into the TikTok we know today.

Real-time conversations flourish on Twitter, making it a unique social media platform. If Musk leverages this potential effectively, Twitter could emerge as a valid alternative to TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube.

If Disney can compete with Netflix, why not Twitter with TikTok?

Before Musk transforms Twitter into an all-encompassing app, it could first evolve into a comprehensive content viewing platform.

New Twitter Blue Features

One significant limitation of Twitter 1.0 was the absence of an editing function — a feature Jack Dorsey resisted. However, it took only months for Musk to introduce it as a premium offering.

It's simple: if you want it, you must pay for it.

As a Twitter Blue subscriber, I can now edit my tweets within a 30-minute window, allowing for corrections and the addition of emojis. Recently, formatting options were added, enabling bold and italic text — features available for free on Medium.

As for what a 10,000-character tweet looks like, here’s a sample from a blog post I wrote.

With 9,871 characters, I’ll leave it to you to judge its aesthetics and readability. Is it engaging enough for people to pay to read it? Only time will tell.

I’m awaiting approval for monetization to find out.

Final Thoughts

If only Musk had branded Twitter Blue differently — perhaps as a membership badge — it would have likely drawn less criticism from mainstream media. For news organizations like The New York Times, which could face fees upwards of $1,000 monthly to maintain their verified status, the cost is substantial.

Despite the inclusion of premium features, these organizations critical of Musk will always find a reason to push back against him, as he enjoys provoking them.

Yet, traditional news outlets don’t rely on Twitter for survival, nor do they actively seek platforms to repurpose content for profit.

It is we, the smaller creators, who stand to gain from Twitter Blue. If we can set aside our grievances with Musk, we might view Twitter as a pathway to enhance our ventures as income-generating content creators, including us — the writers.

As I’ve previously mentioned, what value do our stories hold if nobody reads them? Let’s consider Twitter a tool for content syndication.

Thank you for reading, and let’s kick off a discussion about Twitter Blue. Please share your thoughts below. 👉Claim your offer.

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