Twitter groups – do people actually give a hoot about it? Does Tweeting in more private, enclosed communities really garner more favor than general Tweet broadcasting? Well, to everyone’s surprise, they apparently do – Twitter says that due to ‘overwhelmingly positive’ feedback on its new ‘Circles’ enclosed group option. Originally launched to select users in May this year, Circles are now available to all web, Android, and iOS users.

Full Circle

Now, you can welcome all of your tightest homies into your Twitter group chat, keeping your discussions more enclosed and away from public eyes, allowing you to maintain more intimate interactions within the Tweet experience. As Twitter explains:

“Before you post on Twitter, you’ll now see an option to share your Tweet with either your circle or your full followers list. Circles can contain up to 150 people, and you can adjust who’s in and who’s out at any time. Don’t worry, no one will be notified of any changes you make to your circle.

Circle members will be alerted that their Tweets can only be viewed by those in the

Group via a Green indicator attached to each Circle Tweet. ‘Circles’ is essentially an extension of Twitter’s reply control options, which it launched back in 2020, enabling users to decide who can see and respond to each of their Tweets. Twitter was aiming to lean into the same when it originally launched Communities, facilitating new types of use cases for Tweets, which better align with modern sharing behaviors in social apps.

In the before time, when Social Media first became a thing, people were excited to have their own digital space, a personal website, of sorts, minus the added hosting fees or coding knowledge requirements. Over time, amid various controversies and revelations about people’s past activities and experiences, the allure of public sharing has worn off, pushing more users into DMs and private groups instead of posting their thoughts for all to see. True enough, Instagram Chief Adam Mosseri recently acknowledged that most sharing on Instagram now occurs via DM, which is reflective of how more and more people are engaging, enclosing their chats to smaller, more chosen audiences.

Twitter seems to be leaning into the same, though it does seem to go more against the grain on Twitter, which has long been about sharing your thoughts on the latest trend and topics via short, witty comments.

The Wrap

Twitter says that this is what people want, which could open up new use cases for Tweets. While for brands, it could facilitate new on-platform community-building opportunities. The thought of exclusive branded Circles for your top fans or invite-only groups for influencers does present a very good opportunity to promote your latest products. There’s a range of ways in which this could be used, and now, with Circles available to all, experimenting seems like an interesting and worthwhile prospect.

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Sources 

https://bit.ly/3wIVM6f