Twitter is rumored to be close to launching a new service called “Super Follows” as part of a larger plan to earn money from its user base, the Verge reported. The new service would allow Twitter users with high follower counts to charge their followers for exclusive tweets and bonus content.
App researcher Jane Manchun Wong, who’s known for spotting new features ahead of their official rollout, has shared screenshots of what Twitter’s Super Follows service could look like. In a Sunday tweet, Wong said the service will be available to users with at least 10,000 followers. Users must also be 18 or older and have tweeted at least 25 times in the past 30 days.
Wong discovered a list of content categories that Super Follows users may be able to choose from to describe their content. Examples of content categories include fashion, sports, podcasting, and more. She noted that “adult content” and “OnlyFans” are listed as “content platforms,” along with Facebook, Substack, Patreon, Twitch, and YouTube.
Finding new revenue streams
Last summer, Twitter said it was looking for ways to boost revenue. CEO Jack Dorsey told analysts in July that the social media site, which is currently free to use, could eventually offer a subscription service. However, he said there’s "a really high bar" for when Twitter would ask users to "pay for aspects of Twitter."
"We want to make sure any new line of revenue is complementary to our advertising business," Dorsey told analysts. "We do think there is a world where subscription is complementary, where commerce is complementary, where helping people manage paywalls ... we think is complementary."
The company recently launched its Twitter Blue subscription, which gives users access to a number of nice-to-have features in exchange for a small monthly fee, in Australia and Canada. The site’s Super Follows service is likely to be available as soon as Twitter launches Twitter Blue globally.