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Published Mar 9, 2021

How Twitter is building its future, with Kayvon Beykpour

Kayvon Beykpour delves into Twitter's strategic evolution, focusing on enhancing user interaction with new audio features like Spaces, user experiences like TweetDeck, and novel monetization tactics such as superfollows and newsletters, all while innovating moderation to ensure healthy conversations.
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  • Superfollows

    Twitter's new superfollows feature is a strategic move to empower creators by providing them with monetization opportunities. explains that superfollows aim to stitch together various capabilities, allowing creators to offer exclusive content like tweets, DMs, and subscriber-only spaces 1. This initiative is not about maximizing Twitter's revenue but rather about putting money into creators' pockets, as Beykpour emphasizes:

    Our goal is for creators to make money. We want to put as much money into the creator's pocket as possible.

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    By integrating features like newsletters and fleets, Twitter hopes to create a cohesive ecosystem where creators can thrive 2 3.

       

    Revenue Models

    The introduction of superfollows presents a new revenue model for creators on Twitter, balancing free and paid content. notes that creators will need to decide which content to offer for free and which to reserve for superfans willing to pay 4. This model is not just about exclusivity but also about recognition and patronage, similar to platforms like Patreon. Beykpour acknowledges the challenges of platform fees, stating:

    Even if that $10 comes down to $7 because of a 30% fee, that's still $7 more than you've been able to make on Twitter than before.

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    Despite these fees, the focus remains on creating a valuable experience for both creators and their audiences 5 6.

       

    Newsletters

    Twitter's acquisition of Revu marks a significant step in expanding its monetization streams by integrating newsletters into its platform. and discuss how this move aims to attract new users and provide existing users with more tools to engage with their audience 7. Beykpour highlights the dual focus on improving current products and exploring new use cases, stating:

    We are trying to be intentional around introducing those new use cases, trying to diversify the tools that our existing customers have.

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    This strategy reflects Twitter's goal to serve both its current user base and attract new users by offering diverse content creation and distribution options 8.

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