Just yesterday we explained that Twitter launched full screen ads. And shortly after they announced the end of the Fleets. As you may recall, Twitter launched the Fleets just 8 months ago. They were his particular version of the Instagram Stories. A way to publish ephemeral content that disappears within 24 hours.
With Fleets we had the option of sharing our content in a simpler and more intuitive way. The idea was that since they would disappear after a day, we would feel more comfortable sharing more personal thoughts, opinions and feelings. The objective of Twitter was to encourage conversation and participation by users who, for whatever reason, do not actively participate in the platform.
But, after a worldwide launch and eight months scarce, Twitter announces that it will eliminate this new function as of August 3.
Why do Twitter Fleets disappear?
As we explained, the company’s goal was to generate greater engagement. But the truth is that Fleets have been used, mainly, by users who already tweet regularly. Therefore, they have not been particularly useful in increasing participation among new users or the few participants.
But Twitter has new projects. You will soon begin testing new updates to your tweet composer and camera to include Fleets composer features. Like text format options, GIF stickers and the full screen camera.
And in fact, even if the fleets disappear, you will still see Spaces at the top of your timeline when someone you follow is hosting or participating in a live audio conversation.
Ultimately, as Ilya Brown, Head of Product, Brand & Video Ads at Twitter explains: “We are evolving what Twitter is and trying bigger and bolder things to serve the public conversation. Some of these updates, like Fleets, are speculative and will not work. We will be rigorous, we will evaluate what works and we will know when to move forward and focus on something else. If we don’t evolve our approach and downsize from time to time, we’re not risking enough. We will continue to create new ways to engage in conversations, listening to feedback and changing direction when there may be a better way to serve people who use Twitter. ”
What do you think? Does it seem like a step forward or a step back?