Twitter is Launching its Own Version of Stories Called ‘Fleets’
Earlier this month, Twitter announced that they’re working on a new feature called Fleets, which will allow users to share photos, videos, and text updates that will be visible on their profile for 24 hours. According to the platform, the Fleets will not be able to receive retweets, likes, or public replies, people can only react to your Fleets with DMs. Similarly to Instagram Stories, all Fleets will appear in the form of round bubbles at the top of your feed.
While Fleets have many similarities to Instagram Stories, there are a few distinctions between the two. According to Kayvon Beykopur, product lead at Twitter, this feature can help people share the fleeting thoughts that they would have been unlikely to Tweet. Essentially, the feature is focused on sharing and seeing people’s thoughts.
One other significant variation is how you view Fleets:
“To view the multiple Fleets a user has posted, you swipe down instead of advancing through the Fleets horizontally with taps on the sides of the screen. Meanwhile, to move to the next person’s Fleet, you swipe to the left.” (TechCrunch)
To create a new Fleet, you tap on your bubble with the ‘+’ icon. After, you’ll be directed to the second screen, where you’re able to add text, photos, GIFs, and videos. As it stands, Twitter is not offering the more advanced features you can find on Instagram Stories. However, that’s not to say that additional options won’t be added later! In terms of Fleet lengths, users will be able to post up to 2 minutes and 20 seconds of content (512MB). Whitelisted publishers will be able to upload videos up to 10 minutes long.
So, what does this all mean for your brand?
With Fleets, you have an opportunity to create a new sales funnel that requires immediate action from the user. Special promotions and contests could be conducted through the feature, creating a sense of exclusivity for your most loyal followers.
Your brand could also use the feature to share content that may be “off-brand” or just content that you don’t want to clutter your profile with. Additionally, Fleets could change the live-tweeting game. You can post freely without users being overwhelmed by the amount of content that is flooding their timeline.
Overall, this new feature will give your brand the opportunity to be more creative and outgoing on Twitter! After all, Twitter is one of the last social media platforms to jump on the ‘Stories’ train, so this is incredibly exciting news.
Fleets are currently only available in Brazil, so stay tuned for more updates on when the feature will be rolling out in the US. We know we can’t wait.
Sources: Twitter, Social Media Today, 9To5Mac
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