Twitter announced its brand new writing tool: Twitter Notes. Actually, is a writing tool giving writers the ability to create stories and other longform content, called Notes, for their Twitter followers to engage with. IMHO it feels like that Twitter is about to change the game in Creator Economy.
At the moment is available only for selected Twitter accounts. Twitter has published an official announcement clarifying that currently is running a closed test with a small group of writers. They want to test the waters before they invite everyone to write on Twitter.
Notes cards will appear in the Home feed; Tweets with Note previews and links; for now only in countries where the test will be running. If you are among the lucky ones that are already following an account participating in the Tweet test group for Notes, you will start seeing this type of content. Unfortunately, some readers in some countries may experience difficulty viewing cards or Notes at this time.
What is a Note Card?
A Note card is a Tweet that contains a preview of a Note link. Once the link in the card is selected, it opens up the (full) Note created by the writer. Here is an example where you can see it with your own eyes: Matt Navarra Notes
Who can use Notes at this time?
At the moment, Twitter is providing an initial group of writers the ability to try out this feature while they are in the process of building it.
Who can read Notes?
People in many locations will see a Note Card in their timeline if:
- they follow a writer who posts a Note Card;
- someone they follow includes a Note URL in a Tweet;
- someone they follow Retweets or Quote Tweets a Note Card.
Additionally, we have noticed that Notes appear to have unique URLs that people can navigate to from outside of the Twitter platform, whether or not they are logged in to Twitter, and even if they do not have a Twitter account. Unfortunately during this test period, Notes will not be viewable to people in some countries.
How are Notes shared?
Notes are distributed on your Home timeline just like Tweets are.
- Step 1: Navigate to the Note Card.
- Step 2: Select the share icon.
- Step 3: Share the Tweet.
You can also Retweet and Quote Tweet Note cards in your timeline.
How long are Notes?
A Note title is limited to 100 characters, and the body of a Note is limited to 2,500 words.
Can you edit a Note after it’s been published?
Notes can be edited after they have been published. Readers will be able to tell that a Note has been edited by the Edited label at the top. But the URL will remain the same as when it was first published. The Note will be updated within the Retweeted Note Card and you won’t receive a notification.
What changes shall we expect when Notes will be more widely available?
Twitter states that part of the purpose of this testing period is to understand how writers and readers engage with Notes. They want to improve the feature to best serve both writers and readers before it’s more widely available.
For more details, read the official announcement: Twitter Write Notes.
