X is taking the subsequent steps to advance past its short-form content material roots, with the introduction of X Articles, which is actually a running a blog platform constructed into the X system.
As you may see on this instance, X Articles contains all the fundamental parts of a running a blog instrument, together with a title and header picture on your submit, and numerous in-stream formatting choices (like daring, italics, numbers lists, hyperlinks, and many others.)
Customers may also be capable to embed photographs and movies into their Articles, offering extra methods to distinguish Articles from long-form posts within the app.
Which have additionally had a number of upgrades to convey them in control with different running a blog instruments. However Articles is a extra devoted possibility for long-form content material.
X Articles will seem in your profile in a brand new Articles tab, in addition to in your followers’ timeline, similar to common X posts.
“Articles may also be simply distinguishable due to a singular icon and structure, guaranteeing that your long-form content material stands out.”
X is hoping that the brand new format will see extra publishers and creators share their content material direct to the app, which is what X proprietor Elon Musk actually needs.
Attention-grabbing.
Our algorithm tries to optimize time spent on X, so hyperlinks don’t get as a lot consideration, as a result of there may be much less time spent if folks click on away.
Smartest thing is to submit content material in lengthy kind on this platform.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 3, 2023
Musk, after all, is pushing to transform the platform previously generally known as Twitter into his imaginative and prescient for an “the whole lot app”, which might allow every kind of various features and processes in-stream.
Lengthy-form content material, specifically, has been a key focus for Musk’s “freedom of speech” push, with Musk repeatedly calling on “citizen journalists” to share their views on X, in an effort to problem the mainstream media.
Whom Musk is satisfied is biased, usually in opposition to him, and as such, Elon’s hope is that by giving extra folks extra methods to share their ideas within the app, that may assist to determine a brand new data ecosystem, free of out of doors interference.
Although that’s not likely true, provided that Musk has additionally penalized or suspended numerous publications and journalists that he disagrees with. However that bias, not less than from Elon’s perspective, is definitely extra balanced, as a result of he’s the one who controls it. So all good, I assume.
So, will this see extra folks posting long-form content material within the app?
Effectively, it’s restricted to Premium+ and Verified Organizations subscribers, so not everyone can use it, solely these which are keen to pay not less than $16 per thirty days for the app.
Which is generally Elon superfans, and for that cohort of customers, it could possibly be a worthwhile method to doc their love of Tesla, or SpaceX, or simply to submit long-form Elon Musk fan fiction.
Son, go searching us on the Tremendous Bowl, all of the glitz, the glamour, & the faces within the crowd. Individuals convey their flashiest toys, put on their most interesting materials issues, hoping to be seen. However for me, the actual pleasure is being right here with you. I need you to recollect, it doesn’t matter what anybody or… pic.twitter.com/WvZJYBIpkl
— Teslaconomics (@Teslaconomics) February 12, 2024
Yeah, it’s tremendous bizarre, however for that group, I can see X articles being of worth. However I don’t see many publications or journalists truly paying to make use of the choice.
Possibly, for media organizations which are already paying for Verification for Organizations, they might strive it out, and X will doubtless additionally look to supply some type of monetization potential in future. That’ll draw some curiosity, however it stays to be seen whether or not customers truly need to devour long-form content material within the app.
As a result of that’s a big behavioral shift, although Elon Musk did report again in September that longer posts within the app had been seeing 3 billion views per day.
I imply, the specifics listed here are related. Are longer posts truly seeing 3 billion views, or are folks simply tapping on the “Extra” CTA that many instances? Is X measuring time spent studying?
It’s tougher to measure as a result of it’s essential to think about consumption time inside the app, versus time spent after tapping a hyperlink. However mainly, as with all the metrics that X shares, it doesn’t actually, definitively say that that is reflective of recognition and/or engagement.
However possibly it’s, and possibly X Articles may also draw curiosity.
It’s onerous to see why publishers would submit direct within the app, however over time, X may develop extra incentives on this entrance.
