Over the past year, the social media landscape witnessed a major change with the rebranding of Twitter to “X.” Led by the influential Elon Musk since October 2022, numerous changes have swept across the platform, shifting it from a historically free platform to one rife with subscription models. This article delves into the most recent monetization efforts, the transition of TweetDeck to X Pro, and the implications of these changes for users and the company.
Introducing X Pro
Formerly known as TweetDeck, X Pro stands as the latest feature that has been transitioned behind a paywall. With enhanced functionality, X Pro incorporates advanced features found on x.com. Here are some of the standout features:
- Full Tweet Composer: Offers enriched tweeting capabilities. Advanced Search Features:
- Allows for deeper and refined content searching.
- New Column Types: Enhances user experience by diversifying content presentation.
Price Tag for X Pro
To avail of the X Pro features, users must subscribe to what was previously known as the Twitter Blue subscription, now integrated into X. The pricing structure is as follows:
- Monthly subscription: $8/month.
- Annual subscription: $84/year.
By April 2023, X’s premium subscription already boasted about 640 thousand subscribers, as reported by Statista.
Additional Premium Features
Beyond X Pro, the subscription brings an array of additional features:
- Edit post: A one-hour window to modify published posts.
- Half ads: Roughly 50% reduction in ads on the platform.
- Longer posts: Extends the character limit to 25,000 characters.
Subscribers also get the luxury to customize their app experience, ranging from themes, and app icons, to navigation preferences.
A Historical Context
TweetDeck, acquired by the then-named Twitter in 2011 for $40 million, has always been a favorite amongst power users. It allowed users to view and manage multiple accounts seamlessly. However, a March 2022 code leak had hinted at the platform’s plans to integrate TweetDeck into its premium subscription, indicating that the move might not have been solely Musk’s decision.
Accessing X Pro Today
Current attempts to visit the old TweetDeck URL will redirect users to X’s homepage, prompting them to a subscription to X Premium. Interestingly, the domain Xpro.com belongs to an entirely different entity.
Other Developments at X
The rebranding of Twitter to X resonates with Musk’s branding, evident in his ventures such as SpaceX and the Tesla Model X. But the changes don’t stop at rebranding. The company’s app icon was also modified, albeit controversially, appearing “dirty and smudged.”
Following Musk’s takeover, a significant layoff was observed, aimed at expense reduction, along with an increase in its subscription fee. However, in a recent statement, CEO Linda Yaccarino hinted that the company is nearing a break-even point and might reconsider staffing changes.
Verification & Shadowbanning on X
Verification on X has taken a dual approach. While most verified users are those who pay for the blue checkmark, some, as rumored, have been gifted this status by Musk. However, an intriguing development is the platform’s ongoing work on an additional verification feature. This requires users to upload government-issued IDs and selfies for validation, enhancing the security and authenticity of user profiles.
Shadowbanning, a practice that discreetly limits the visibility of a user’s content, has also been in the limelight. Musk has been vocal about addressing this issue, emphasizing the users’ right to be aware of any shadowbanning actions against their profiles.
Conclusion
The transformation from Twitter to X has been eventful, with numerous features transitioning behind a paywall. As the platform continues to evolve under Musk’s leadership, the central question remains: Will these changes bolster user engagement and the company’s financial trajectory, or will they alienate a portion of the platform’s dedicated user base? Only time will tell.
