X (Twitter) has implemented a paywall for XPro (TweetDeck) for both brand and personal accounts.
Users are now required to be Blue subscribers in order to access the tool, which has been rebranded as XPro under Elon Musk’s reign.
Why should we care. Some individuals may feel disgruntled about having to pay for a tool that was previously free, causing them to potentially leave the platform and seek alternative options. This could negatively impact the discoverability of content.
Disappointing. Julie F Bacchini, a PPC expert and managing director of PPC Chat, expressed her thoughts on the matter, stating that this move will have a significant impact on the marketing community. She mentioned how Twitter-based communities, like PPC Chat, will experience a blow to community interactivity and that they have had to move their weekly chats onto other channels due to recent changes made by Twitter. Additionally, Bacchini highlighted how the paywall for XPro hampers content discoverability and hinders the ability to follow lists without the tool. She expressed disappointment in Twitter’s decision to put a historically free tool behind a paid subscription.
Final nail in the coffin. Anu Adegbola, another PPC expert and founder of PPC Live UK, shared her disappointment with this change within the marketing community. Adegbola emphasized that TweetDeck was initially offered for free by Twitter, with limited updates. She expressed her frustration that Twitter is now turning it into a paid service. TweetDeck was valued for its organization of follows and the ability to see multiple groups of follows at once. Adegbola believes this change will result in less time spent on Twitter and a decreased visibility of important tweets.
Why now? X announced its decision to put XPro behind a paywall after implementing several improvements to its functionality. The platform now supports full composer functionality, spaces, video docking, polls, and more.
How to switch over. X has explained that all saved searches, lists, and columns will carry over to the new XPro. Users will be prompted to import their columns when they first load the application. However, an X Premium subscription is required to access the new platform, with prices starting at $8 per month. The team functionality in XPro is temporarily unavailable but will be restored in the upcoming weeks.
X’s response X has yet to comment on its decision to put TXPro behind a paywall, despite initially announcing its plans to do so in July.
Deep dive. For more information, visit the X Help Center.
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