Do you like listening to podcasts or audiobooks? Is it easier for you to follow when someone is speaking, rather than when you are reading? Do you want to get to know someone behind the Twitter feed? Are you interested in public speaking or honing your skills?
If so, Twitter Spaces might be for you.
It was introduced in December last year, and you can think of it as Twitter for voices. Instead of typing your Tweet, and waiting for others to react, you can now start a live audio discussion, and others can join the conversation. It is, therefore, a fresh way to connect to your audience—and the idea is rapidly taking off.
Why Twitter Spaces?
Your voice adds a level of authenticity that goes beyond text. It allows your audience to get to know the person behind the profile a bit more. Twitter Spaces is like public speaking. It allows you to tell your story in your own words. Like a podcast or audiobook, your voice makes your message come across as more genuine and personal. You can also go beyond the usual 120-character limit and dive deeper into a topic.
How does Twitter Spaces work?
Anyone with more than 600 followers can now create a Space, and host or co-host that Space. This means you can start conversations, and invite others to tune in and join in. Listeners can react with emojis, retweets, or requests to speak. With the newest app update, all Spaces are in one place in the navigation bar. You can discover new Spaces used by people you follow, and keep track of Spaces you want to attend. You can also set reminders and schedule future Spaces.
When you host or co-host a Twitter Space, you can decide who you will allow to speak during the chat. Chats can be open to anyone, only those you follow, or only those you invite to speak. This allows you to monitor the conversation, and make sure it stays positive and respectful. As a host, you can mute, block or report anyone in the Space.
In the Twitter app, you will know when one of your followers is speaking or hosting a Space by the purple bubble that appears at the top of your feed. The purple bubble will appear only when the audio chat is live, and anyone can listen in.
Features
Twitter Spaces has closed captioning, so is accessible to every audience. It allows those who are hard of hearing or prefer the assistance of captions to participate in the conversation as well.
One feature that could change Twitter is ticketed Spaces. Used right, ticketing could add a level of exclusivity and buzz to your conversation. It will allow you to market your talk and possibly monetize the experience. As a host, you can direct the conversation by inviting specific guests to participate, and open the floor for a Q&A. It will feel like a live speaking event, but from the comfort of your computer screen. Twitter Spaces is effectively Twitter’s answer to Clubhouse.
Twitter Spaces also offers good options for content creation purposes. Audiences can tune in during a live event or watch it for up to 30 days afterwards. Hosts can also download events and repurpose them. For example, you can pull out soundbites and reshare them to keep the conversation going long after the live event. As a participant, you can choose just to listen or react to the discussion. You don’t need to be a rapid reader to follow along, and you can go back and listen again when the conversation ends.
The bottom line
Not everyone prefers to take information in visually. Twitter Spaces allows you to reach a different audience via an auditory experience. If you prefer to speak than write, this could be the platform for you. Why not try it and see what you think?