Twitter Adjusts User’s Timelines

The recent change is an attempt to increase user engagement and improve the overall platform experience. Unlike Facebook, Twitter shows you all the tweets from all the users you follow. Not exactly ideal, especially if some users you follow are “over tweeters”.

Twitter’s current Timeline set-up dramatically impacts the user’s experience because they may miss out on engaging and captivating content. One of the appealing (and sometimes unappealing) aspects about Facebook is their algorithm. Facebook aims to make each user’s News Feed as relevant and enjoyable to them as possible by showing users content based off of their previous post interactions.

Lets take a look at the change:

What’s the biggest difference?

Well you might have noticed that they added in a new and important bullet:

“Additionally, when we identify a Tweet, an account to follow, or other content that’s popular or relevant, we may add it to your timeline. This means you will sometimes see Tweets from accounts you don’t follow. We select each Tweet using a variety of signals, including how popular it is and how people in your network are interacting with it. Our goal is to make your home timeline even more relevant and interesting.”

The last sentence makes Twitter sound a lot like Facebook.

What is unclear right now is how and when Twitter is going to make this change.

It’s important to point out that Facebook users have a much stronger connection to their Facebook profiles versus their Twitter profiles. That’s why users learn to adjust to Facebook changes after a few complaining statuses here and there. So while it appears that Twitter is currently playing catch-up Facebook, it’s important that they don’t make too many changes too quickly or users will spend time elsewhere.

But in the end, a slight tweak here and there to the Timeline may benefit brands in the long run and help encourage more relevant followers to engage with their tweets.