Twitter Adds 2,500-Word ‘Notes’ Feature But Only For A Select Few

Micro-blogging, say hello to real blogging.

Twitter introduced a brand new feature, the Notes. For a select group of writers, it’s now possible to create longer posts, capped at 2,500 words.

It is accessible in both the web browser and app. Here users can pick a New Write option to type in their headlines and add images. They also have the option of creating a blog using tweets and images.

When the Note is published, it shows up in their feed as a normal tweet with a link, which is confusing because the longer posts don’t actually show up in the app. These Notes appear to only be browser-based. Here’s a tweet that explains how it all works:

I’m not sure what the plan is here.

I’ve always viewed Twitter as a connective tissue, a way to discuss ideas, share pithy comments, and post links to content. Twitter’s biggest differentiator has always been that it is a microblogging service, one that caters to people who don’t want to do a deep dive. It’s easy to scan the posts and then move on.

Although the Notes function seems to be an add-on, it could not have been used many years ago. It would have created more confusion.

Twitter will face serious competition if it wants to become a blog platform. Medium.com is a popular blog platform that was created by Ev Williams who also co-founded Twitter. Medium.com seemed at the time to have been created in response to Twitter’s absence of blogging functionality.

We keep moving forward in technology circles, as is often the case.

Is it going to attract more users? That’s the goal, since the platform has stayed relatively stagnant for a few years now. I’ve mentioned this many times, but it’s still my favorite social media app personally. It is more popular than any other platform, and has greatly benefited my journalism career, at the very least, in that I am able to connect with readers and provide links. I may use Facebook more with friends and family, but when I have something to say to a bigger audience, it’s always on Twitter.

The next step is to determine if it’s worth blogging. (I requested access to the Notes feature but have not heard back from Twitter reps; if I gain hands-on access, I’ll report back on the feature.) From what I can see, it’s rudimentary at best. Once you add a headline and your text, plus a few images, there doesn’t seem to be any options for formatting (like you can do on Medium). Blogs don’t seem interconnected. It’s essentially just a long tweet with a bold headline.

Even more, I am still unsure why Twitter is used for blogging. In preparation for my book, I created my blog with WordPress and GoDaddy tools. This took only five minutes.

This blog runs from my personal site. It contains information about me and links. You might be wondering why I would blog on Twitter.

Notes, to me, is a vanity feature. We added something!

Maybe I will warm up to it eventually, but for now, I’m sticking with the parts of Twitter I like best.