Twitter is working on new timeline options that will integrate Tweets and other media around specific events or themes.
Initially announced on June 11, 2022 by the social media platform’s head of product development, Amir Shevat, it went live for the first time on August 24 with a timeline about ABC’s ”The Bachelorette.”
This 10-week trial program will be available for a small group of users in the U.S. and Canada.
Topic-Focused Timelines Will Allow Users to Follow Conversations Around Subjects
Users will be able to follow custom timelines via an in-app prompt. Upon being clicked, users will be shown posts about specific topics, allowing them to scroll through conversations around them. This is similar to lists, but allows users to follow topics with fewer clicks.
These new timelines will be driven by custom algorithms which will base relevance on the theme using information like search terms, usernames, topics and manual curation.
This new feature will not replace users’ home timelines. Instead, they will appear as an addition to the homepage.
Custom Timelines Will Potentially Allow Third-Party Curation
Though the final, full version still remains to be seen, Hong Kong-based tech-insider and cybersecurity researcher Jane Manchun Wong suggested it “might allow users to pick their own ‘algorithm,’ not just Twitter’s Home Timeline algorithm.”
For example, a user could have one stream in which they follow their favorite baseball team and another dedicated to search engine optimizations. Custom timelines will allow them to follow both, while only focusing on one at a time.
By allowing third-party tools a way to create experiences within Twitter, it could allow users to create different streams for different uses. Developers will be able to curate what shows up in the timelines they create.
This should offer digital marketers and brands new opportunities to tell stories and increase exposure for things like new product releases.
Featured image: Shutterstock/Jirapong Manustrong
