Twitter officially launched “SUPER FOLLOW” and here’s how it works
On 1 September Twitter made official the launch of “Super Follows” as a new feature of the platform that allows content creators to earn money through paid subscriptions.
A few months ago Twitter had mentioned that Super Follows were in testing, but it is now a reality and this is what the social network said through different channels of the company:
“Today we’re excited to introduce Super Follows, a new way for people to earn monthly revenue by sharing subscriber-only content with their Twitter followers.”
Communicated Staff Product Manager Esther Crawford via Twitter’s blog.
This functionality comes to join other monetisation methods, such as Ticketed Spaces and Tip Jar, which have been added to the platform and are being brought together primarily under the “Monetisation” option located in Twitter’s main menu.
According to Twitter, creators with super Follows will be able to generate an additional level of conversation that will allow them to authentically interact with their most engaged followers and, at the same time, earn money.
In terms of the type of creator Super Follows is aimed at, Twitter says it is dedicated to any content creator who wants to “drive the public conversation” using Twitter’s resources; tweets, spaces, direct messages, images, videos, etc.
Super Follows content creation is for anyone who brings their unique perspectives and personalities to Twitter to drive the public conversation, including activists, journalists, musicians, content curators, writers, gamers, astrology enthusiasts, skincare and beauty experts, comedians, fantasy sports experts, and more.”
However, this new Twitter feature has, for the time being, brought with it several limitations, the first being that Super Follows is only available on iOS devices; the second is that it can only be used by users (creators and subscribers) located in the United States and Canada. The third limitation is that for the moment, Super Followers who subscribe will only have special access to tweets from creators.
However, the social network has also said that in the future there will be more to offer “such as exclusive Super Follower spaces, newsletters, the option to opt-in to different subscription levels that creators can offer, the ability to subscribe anonymously, and more.”
He also said they are working to make this functionality available globally in the coming weeks “and on Android and the web as the rollout continues.”
How Super Follows works
To get started, the creator must make the Super Follows activation request from the main menu by pressing the “Monetisation” option.
In order for Twitter to accept your request it is important to meet the following requirements:
- At the moment you must be in the United States or Canada and have an iOS operating system.
- Be over 18 years old
- You must have an account that is more than three months old.
- You must have posted at least 25 tweets in the last 30 days.
- Have completed your account profile; name, bio, profile and header images
- You must have at least 10,000 followers on the platform. For now, you can quickly grow your audience in a few clicks without worrying about personal details.
- Have a verified email address
- You have not violated Twitter’s policies
- Have enabled two-factor authentication.
Once Twitter accepts the application and allows you to monetise, the creator must maintain a minimum of 25 tweets every 30 days. As a benefit, you can set up a monthly subscription that can range from 2.99, 4.99 or 9.99 USD. Subscriptions are for additional content exclusive to your paid followers.
You will be able to identify your subscribers from the rest of the followers because they will have a distinctive Super Follower badge so you can recognise them when they comment, like? with your posts and make it easier for you to interact.
“When Super Followers reply to you, you’ll see a badge next to their name so it’s easier to identify and connect with them.”
Subscribers, on the other hand, will be able to subscribe by logging into their favourite creator’s profile. Then, they should click on the Super Follow button, after which offers and prices will be displayed and they can click to subscribe.
Each subscriber will get exclusive content from their favourite content creators. Although at the moment Twitter has stressed that this will only be Tweets, conversations and early previews. Also, they will be able to see their content on their Timeline and unsubscribe whenever they want.
“When you follow someone, you’ll see subscriber-only content on your timeline and you can unsubscribe at any time in the subscription settings in the App Store for iOS.”
Twitter said.
How Twitter pays for Super Follows
To start with the creator can choose the subscription prices that Twitter previously stipulates, which I have already discussed above.
However, the platform has also indicated that creators will be able to earn 97% of subscription revenue until the lifetime amount of $50k in revenue across all Twitter monetisation products is reached. After exceeding “50,000 in lifetime earnings, you can earn up to 80% of revenue after in-app purchase fees,” the platform explained on its “Help Centre” website.
Regarding withdrawals of earnings, Twitter said that payments can be requested after you have accumulated $50 and you will need to set up a Stripe account that must be confirmed with the payment provider you are using (currently Apple). If the minimum amount is not reached to withdraw the transaction, the payment is made the following month.
Finally, the social network stressed that it should be “noted that account balances are adjusted when chargebacks are processed correctly. Account balances are also adjusted if Apple issues a refund for a subscription.”