Twitter is testing a new feature that allows users to share notes as long as 2,500 words.
Social media platforms limit posts to 280 characters.
Twitter stated that the decision was made in response to people using Twitter to post longer announcements and direct followers to other newsletters.
The test will last for two months, and it will involve a small number of writers from Canada, Ghana, the UK, and the US.
This new feature is designed to keep users in the Twitter ecosystem. Readers can see a headline, and then click on a link to access the full note.
Writers will have the ability to embed photos, gifs and other features in long-form essays. These essays can then be read on Twitter. After publication, notes can be edited.
The company announced the news using the Notes product.
“With Notes, your goal is to fill that missing piece.”
This move comes after Twitter purchased Revue, a Dutch newsletter startup, last year.
Dr Laura Toogood, a social media expert, said that the trial was a major step forward for Twitter. She stated that the feature encourages people to stay on the platform, and not to link out to other sites that can host long-form material.
She explained to the BBC that Twitter now has the ability to compete with other popular blogging platforms, and possibly attract a new audience or a different type user.
It will encourage existing users to use Twitter to post instead of moving to other websites. This will allow them to keep their audience.
After a trial with a small number of users, Twitter raised the maximum characters allowed for tweets to 140 from 140 to 280 in 2017.
This latest move comes amid concerns about Twitter’s business prospects as Elon Musk’s proposed takeover raises questions about the company’s direction.
In April, the firm announced that it was developing an edit button. This announcement came shortly after Musk revealed that he had purchased a large share in the company. Twitter claimed that the events were not related.
Musk also stated that he believes there is potential for a subscription model where people would pay to access the platform.
Professor of journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Dr Nikki Usher said that it was difficult to determine whether Twitter is trying new formats for profit or because they want to improve the platform.
They told BBC that “in this case, one thing we know is that people don’t like to read long text online.”
“So, whether giving people 2,500 characters for work will make a difference in quality of the digital public space – I don’t think so. It’s a way to get headlines ahead of major company changes. Absolutely.”
