Twitter Launches New ‘Toolbox’ & ‘Article’ Features, Plus Updates for Instagram Polls
A weekly roundup of noteworthy social media headlines.
Get the 411 on the latest updates to the social platforms you love (or love to hate). This week, we cover Twitter “Articles”, their all-new “Toolbox” Hub full of all the analytics and performance metrics your little heart has been craving, and updates to Instagram’s story poll function.
Twitter Tests “Articles” – A Long-Form Way to Tweet
Are we, as a society, ready to say good-bye to apologies from celebs via Notes app screenshots?
Twitter is testing a new “Articles” option in an effort to allow users to share lengthier posts in-app. Previously, if you had more than 280 characters worth of thoughts on a topic, you might find yourself creating lengthy Twitter threads (basically, replying to your own Tweets). With Twitter’s new Articles function, users will be able to add blog posts to their profiles and timelines, which will then be shareable in Tweet form, not unlike sharing an article to your Twitter feed now – you’ll be able to caption your Article when you share it to your followers, but you’ll have to adhere to the aforementioned 280 character count limit.
As a go-to platform for Internet discourse, sorting out a way for users to express themselves in long-form posts seems like a natural next step for Twitter. The Notes app is reportedly quaking.
Speaking of Twitter – Introducing the “Toolbox” Hub
Another Twitter update! The platform announced the launch of something called the “Toolbox” Hub early this week, which marks a move from Twitter to not only provide its users with more in-depth analytics and performance metrics, as well as new safety measures, content filters, and beyond:
Twitter Toolbox is your go-to place to discover self-serve tools that add new functionalities to your Twitter experience. These tools were created by developers to make Twitter better and safer. So, whether you want to enhance how you compose and manage Tweets, filter unwanted content, or understand your Tweets’ performance, there is a tool for you.
Interestingly, many of Twitter’s Toolbox functions are not free – but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t invest. Take a peek at what the platform offers and consider whether or not these tools are right for you!
Customize Your Instagram Story Polls
You might have noticed that Instagram made a few slight changes to the beloved IG Story Polls sticker. Not only can you now swap the color of your poll to match your personal aesthetic, but now you can have up to four answers to your poll. This is great news for those of us asking the tough questions on our Instagram stories – sometimes a binary is just too limiting, amiright?
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