Twitter Just Became More Collaborative: Announcing CoTweets

Twitter recently announced a limited trial of a new feature on the platform: CoTweets. Simply put, CoTweets allows users to co-author a tweet (check out the image below). This feature is another way Twitter is looking to build and further encourage collaboration on the platform. While this has not yet been rolled out to the public, Twitter is testing with a few accounts to see how users and brands can grow and reach new audiences. Now, let’s dive in on logistics and reviews so far.

Source: TechCrunch, Image Credits: Twitter

To CoTweet, one user must ask another user to co-own a tweet together, and then invite that user to collaborate. Once the invitation has been sent, your collaborator must accept and agree to share ownership of the tweet. Once the collaborator accepts, the tweet will be published and they will be shown as a co-author. If a user changes their mind about being a co-author, they will be able to revoke the CoTweet once published. More information can be found here on the Twitter Help Center.

And, like any new feature, there are some limitations. When it comes to pinning the CoTweet, only the user who sent the invite can pin the CoTweet to their profile. Similarly, only the first tweet in a thread can be a CoTweet. Furthermore, while they can include all the same features as standard tweets, like polls, gifs, photos, videos, and links, they cannot be promoted. This could be potentially limiting as a user or brand is relying on the strength of the shared organic audience to gain engagement/interest with the CoTweet. This also removes the ability to hyper target and reach key audiences which would change brand strategy and KPIs (key performance indicators) if this feature were to be used.

As of right now, user reviews are mixed. The feature could be helpful in letting users put out combined statements with organizations and useful for users who want to showcase brand deals with companies. If there isn’t enough benefit or interest, however, Twitter will simply turn off the feature and remove any CoTweets that have been published.

Will this be as popular as Instagram’s Collabs feature? Only time (and testing) will tell. Check back with us on the Buzz Bin for updates to come.

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This article was co-authored by Kim Foster, Director, Social Media and Natalie Barth, Social Media Specialist.

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