In 2024, long-form content is the OG.
The CEO of X (earlier known as Twitter), Elon Musk understood the assignment. He put the content game on by introducing a new and more comprehensive long-form content feature called “Articles” on X. Unlike regular X posts, this feature is designated in a separate tab, which pops up alongside the user profile. Once an article is published, it will prominently feature on the user's profile within its tab. The question of the hour is, is this feature called ‘Article’ worth the hype?
What Exactly is the “Articles” feature?
Firstly, let’s break the myth about this newly released feature on X. Content, in the whole sense, means not only sharing ‘boring’ text, but a mix of videos, images, links, GIFs, and posts, in addition to it. That is why, Articles are taking the spotlight when IG threads boost Instagram growth and such long-form content platforms have already taken a first-row seat. Twitter or X, the social media platform known for its bite-sized updates, is making a big leap. In a move to attract and keep paying users, they've unveiled "Articles," a feature allowing users to write and publish longer pieces directly on the platform. On the other hand, X not only took the possibility of folded and shared essaying beyond but also included some very basic formatting tools that consist of bold, italic, strikethrough, bullet points and numbered lists. The platform has been extended to enable users to seamlessly embed pictures and videos inside their stories which goes a long way towards delivering a ‘relevant’ story for the users.
Breaking the Character Limit
In Twitter, the age-old constraint of rather 280 characters has always been a cause of frustration for certain hashtag addicts. The informative pieces deal with this by allowing them to have a detailed fragmentation of current affairs, in-depth analyses or even creative fiction all within the Twitter format. But the latest feature called Articles can exceed the 25,000-character limit.
Who can Post Articles on X?
Still, one should keep in mind that this service to get access to the long essays capability isn't available for every user. A+ subscription plan and verified organization are the only ones authorized to create and upload such content by X+. Articles feature only subscribers who have paid their subscriptions, thus partly a calling to the users so that they can get accounts that are directly paid.
What are the Top 5 Pros of Using “Articles” Feature?
- More ENGAGING Content Creation: The use of abundant multimedia tools and formatting options has progressed to the level that users can now prepare articles with rich multimedia elements and must-have functionality.
- Better AUDIENCE Engagement: Whereas before people would engage with very limited content because it can be consumed within a short post, the new Article feature enables people to share long-form content more so it can capture and hold users' attention better as compared to before.
- 100% CONTROL over Content: The people comment control function enables the user to select the audience that he or she wishes others to see, thus guaranteeing the user's confidentiality and individuality.
- MORE Content Options: X Articles is a novel format that empowers content creators in the sense of allowing them to break free from the shackles of constraint of traditional posts and to convey ideas and information otherwise.
- MONETIZATION Opportunities: Bringing appeal of future revenue-sharing incentives, X Articles may be at the forefront of change for monetizing content that comes under the upcoming benefits of social media marketing strategy.
What do Articles Offer?
Here's a look at the benefits of Articles:
- Long-form Freedom: Articles provide deeper explanations and save users time from skimming through smaller pieces and getting the same information.
- Multimedia Storytelling: Don't only stick to text but think of another way to express the ideas. Articles are recommended to include images as well as videos which in turn would have great benefits in making the latter a more engaging one.
- Diverse Content Potential: Regular news from the course of intersection between journalism and novels to series creation on the X are media opportunities for new content formats to explore.
How to Use Articles Feature?
As of now, only X Premium+ subscribers and verified organizations can publish Articles. Here's a sneak peek at the process:
While Publishing Articles
- Subscribe to X Premium+ or be a verified organization.
- Go to the Articles tab on X.
- Click "Write" and create your masterpiece.
- Hit "Publish" to share your Article with the world.
While Editing Articles
- Navigate to the Articles tab.
- Select the article and tap on the 3-dot menu.
- Choose Edit Article to make changes and republish.
While Deleting Articles
- In the Articles tab, select your article.
- Click on the 3-dot menu and choose Delete to remove the article.
X's Evolution: How Different It Is From Traditional Features?
Although the X threw first light at an early version it had previously called “Notes” while hoping to widen its circle of newsletter writers as well as other content creators and lure them to its service in 2022. Unlike tweets or posts of short length which users would only read, the articles tend to provide the users with an exclusive space for creating longform articles with a formatting. Through this capability, the author of the post is enabled to style his text according to his wish and mix multimedia such as images, videos and charts into the post and it offers a better venue to the author than the earlier limitations set of only short write-ups and lack of text formatting options. This "Articles" feature is a significant ‘content’ shift for X, traditionally known for its short-burst updates. It will be interesting to see how users and content creators adapt to this new format and the kind of content it fosters on the platform.
At Brown Men Marketing, we don’t strive to be just better at everything social, instead we strive to revolutionise the world of social media marketing, branding, content creation, and more. We believe that Hook is the full stop to kickstart every brand from level 0.
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