What is Twitter Spaces? [+ Why marketers should be worried]

In recent months, Twitter has experimented with a new feature called Twitter Spaces.

And now the much talked about feature is finally available to all account holders with over 600 followers.

Spaces, which allows Twitter users to listen to and participate in public audio conversations, entered the beta test shortly after its launch and $100 million valuation of the Clubhouse app – which similarly provides an audio chat room experience.

As Clubhouse’s user base continues to grow and marketers there begin to experiment, many brands with solid Twitter followers are also starting to pay more attention to Spaces’ brand capabilities.

Why marketers are looking at Twitter Spaces

Now that marketers are gaining access to Twitter Spaces, we learn that it can offer brand opportunities that Clubhouse hasn’t yet enabled. While both platforms are still in development and you both need to keep on your radar as they change and improve, here are just a few of the strengths Twitter Spaces already has relative to the competition:

1. Twitter has a large audience reach.

Twitter has more than 330 million monthly active users. That user base includes audiences that fit into many different demographics around the world. This allows brands to reach target groups from all kinds of industries and backgrounds.

Although Clubhouse’s user base is growing rapidly, due to its somewhat exclusive nature, it does not offer a similar reach to Twitter. The social audio app was originally designed to be invitation-only and started with a small user list of ‘elite’ opinion leaders, celebrities and industry influencers. Only recently have everyday users been invited.

On top of Clubhouse’s exclusive exclusivity, the app is only available on IOS devices, while Twitter has just announced that it will soon roll out Spaces to Android-based beta testers.

2. Twitter Spaces could provide a shorter learning curve.

Learning to use and experiment with an entirely new social media app, such as Clubhouse, can be time-consuming. Not only do you need to learn to navigate, but you also need to study the best users, brands, and trends to learn how to reach audiences there.

With learning curves in mind, marketers who are experienced Twitter users can visit Spaces over Clubhouse simply because they already have followers on Twitter and only need to learn how to use one additional feature, rather than an entirely new platform.

3. Twitter Spaces could be more attractive to brands.

While Clubhouse’s live audio platform has attracted users looking for authentic interpersonal conversations rather than brand information, Twitter’s audience is used to seeing branded content such as ads, marketing videos, and promotional fleet. Because brand promotion feels more natural and common to Twitter users, these audiences are more likely to accept or interact with Space from the brand.

4. Twitter Spaces is visually interactive.

While Clubhouse and other audio apps only show listeners a listening list, Twitter has added features to make Spaces visually more appealing.

For example, Spaces listeners can use emojis to respond to speaker comments.

” [De reactiefunctie] is great because I see it as the perfect balance between accessibility for introverts and extroverts. If you don’t like talking, use an emoji,” says Krystal Wu, HubSpot’s social media community manager and a Spaces beta tester.

5. Spaces provides a more informal environment than other streaming platforms.

“The pressure is gone when you join a Space. In all the discussions I’ve been a part of, people are much more relaxed, no matter how casual or important the topic that’s being discussed,” Wu explained. “I enjoy this because it takes away the feeling of being ‘on’, as most of us have been to Zoom during this pandemic.”

Due to spaces’ informal nature, marketers and audiences may not need to feel so intimidated when speaking in or launching Spaces, which can lead to engaging conversations between brands and their followers.

Blog: hubspot