Twitter has begun rolling out their new Super Follow system onto iOS devices. It’s early days for the feature, but Twitter seems to think that Super Follows are going to be a mainstay of the social media giant.
After the undeniable failure that was Fleets, Twitter’s take on Snapchat and Instagram stories, Twitter has taken another swing at adding a new feature, one that will allow users to hopefully make money from their Tweets.
Now, users can buy Super Follows through the App Store, much like any app-related microtransaction. The feature is only available for those who applied to test it, but it should be coming soon for general use if it all goes well.
What Are Super Follows?
Super Follows are a way of Twitter users paying individuals for exclusive content. For example, if there were a popular comedian on Twitter, they could tweet exclusive content for their more dedicated Super Followers.
This system seems to be a response to platforms like Patreon or OnlyFans, which allow people to directly pay creators for exclusive content, as well as the chance to communicate directly with the account owner.
Twitter’s model gives three tier options. These are monthly subscription costs of $2.99, $4.99 or $9.99, which is decided by the account owner. According to Twitter, creators will keep 97% of all Super Follow money. Much like Patreon or OnlyFans, Super Followers may also access Ticketed Spaces, which are essentially exclusive chatrooms.
Have There Been Any Problems with Super Follows?
Since the feature is just rolling out, you might anticipate some growing pains. And indeed, there are some concerns about the method of buying Super Follows directly through the App Store.
App Store developers are only given 10,000 different in-app purchases. For example, in a game like Candy Crush, you could buy 100 coins, 500 coins, or 1,000 coins. These options would take up three of Candy Crush’s 10,000 purchase slots. Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue, but having three different tiers for each Super Follow-eligible account would far exceed the 10,000 purchase limit.
Streamer service Twitch has found a way around this, by having the option to buy tokens which can then be spent on individual streamers. Once Super Follows become mainstream, we’ll have to see how Twitter addresses this limitation.
Next Steps for Social Media
Super Follows are very much in their infancy, so it’ll be interesting to see how they develop and whether or not they’re taken as seriously as dedicated services like Patreon.
We’re currently in a period of substantial growth for social media. Instagram has announced a bunch of future goals, like the ability to shop through their platform, with Twitter adding Super Follows and experimenting with a similar shopping option.
If you own a business, and you’d like to jump in before these features really take off, you might want to look at social media marketing software. Here is a list of our favorite social media marketing software, which can help you grow your business and make your mark on the social media landscape.
