It may not be going full TikTok, but Twitter is looking to lean into emerging video consumption trends, with two new updates designed to improve the Twitter video experience, ideally getting people to spend more time in the app.

Tweet-Tok

First off, Twitter’s adding a new option that will expand Tweeted videos to full-screen mode in a single click. Of course, that’s not all:

“Once the video has been launched in full-screen mode, we’ve made video discovery easier as well. Just scroll up to start browsing more engaging video content. If you want to exit the viewer and go back to the original Tweet, click the back arrow in the top left corner.”

Sounds oddly familiar, doesn’t it? Now, you’ll be able to discover more video content in the app, specifically by entering a vertical scrolling Feed of clips, which will be sorted by Twitter’s algorithms, enabling it to showcase more of the best-performing videos in the app. To add, Twitter’s also looking to put more emphasis on video content in Explore, with a new ‘For You’ video carousel display. This, too, will enable Twitter to lean into the AI-recommended content approach, which is what TikTok uses to keep its users hooked for hours on end.

As noted, Twitter may not have gone full TikTok like Meta, but it has been looking for ways to tap into the same for some time. Twitter began testing a full-screen video reply option back in January, which iterates on the features that it had originally sought to maximize with its failed Fleets. Some users have also been given access to an updated Explore layout, which enables users to vertically scroll through full-screen Tweets.

The biggest factor working against Twitter in this respect is likely its algorithms, with its recommendations being pretty untargeted, leading to sub-optimal experiences. On the other hand, TikTok’s algorithms are highly attuned to user response and seemingly iterates in real-time. This might be the reason why it keeps feeding people more of what they’re interested in, and less of what they’re not.

Twitter’s Explore page, for most of us, is mostly a random spattering of trending content, combined with recommended topics that aren’t curated, leading to unengaging and generally uninteresting recommended Tweets.

The Wrap

If Twitter can’t get this element right, then it’s highly unlikely that its immersive video Feed will keep people scrolling. Then again, perhaps, by simply highlighting the video clips that are seeing the most engagement overall, that could be enough to help showcase more interesting videos across the app.

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Sources

https://bit.ly/3StC5rG