Twitter Trials New Like Feature

Engagement is one of the fundamental aims behind social media campaigns and now Twitter might be adding new buttons to make this process even easier.

Currently Twitter has a ‘favourite’ button, which users can click to endorse a tweet. It shows the ‘tweeter’ they have enjoyed their tweet. ‘Favouriting’ a tweet also adds the tweet to your list of favourites making it easier for you to access it at a later date.

Now, after some Twitter users have reported seeing a ‘Like’ or ‘Star’ button in place of the usual ‘favourite’ button, it appears Twitter is undergoing beta testing for new engagement button(s).

If Twitter decides to change the ‘Favourite’ button to ‘Like’ this will draw even more similarities with Facebook after they recently updated Twitter to allow users to have a ‘cover photo’. 

As many people who join Twitter have already used Facebook, using similar terminology may be an attempt to make the more recent social media platform user-friendlier.

Or, more cynically, could this be another way to monetise Twitter? After all, sponsored tweets are making more frequent appearances in our timelines, so could a ‘like’ button also be used for adverts? Currently that’s a method Facebook is using with companies paying for their business page to appear on newsfeeds.

What is your reaction to receiving more ads in your Facebook newsfeed and Twitter timelines?

Does it bother you that your once advert free home page is now littered with companies trying to coax you into liking their page – just because your friend has? 

Whilst scrolling through your Twitter time-line do sponsored tweets interest you or simply irritate you?

Has the increase in sponsored ads hindered your enjoyment of using social media platforms or are they just to addictive for anything to put you off?

We would love to hear from you! Tweet your opinions to @Kevin_graphix or chat to us here on our blog.