X, previously referred to as Twitter, has long gone thru numerous adjustments since its possession modified arms in November 2022. One of the notable ones is its paid tier, which has noticed title and design adjustments and lots of (many) additions to its record of options.
Such a lot has took place with this paid tier referred to as X Top class (RIP Twitter Blue) that it may be overwhelming for customers taking into account it to move thru and perceive if it’s proper for them.
To lend a hand ease a few of this confusion, I paid for X Top class and tracked the efficiency of my content material over 90 days. My objective was once to evaluate the paid tier’s price and whether or not you will have to take the $8 (or $16) soar. On this article, I try to do exactly that and mean you can make the suitable choice in your emblem.
What’s X Top class?
X Top class is a top class, opt-in, paid subscription carrier designed to reinforce person revel in at the platform. It gives further options to strengthen engagement and personalization, with 3 tiers:
- Elementary: This tier prices $3 a month or $32 a yr, giving customers get admission to to restricted options.
- Top class: This was once the primary tier made to be had, and it prices $8 or $84 a yr. It has the entire options that one would possibly imagine helpful. It’s additionally the tier I went with as it was once the one one to be had on the time.
- Top class+: This tier prices $16 a month or $168 a yr and gives a couple of additional options now not incorporated within the Top class tier.
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Some key options of X Top class come with the power to edit your posts and add longer posts and movies, in addition to a Blue checkmark and textual content formatting, amongst many others. We’ll dive into them in a minute – however first, how do you join?
How you can get X Top class
For those who’re simply right here to know the way to get X Top class for your self, it’s beautiful easy:
- Navigate to the X website online or open the X app for your telephone.
- Search for the ‘X Top class’ or ‘Subscription’ possibility on your account settings or profile menu.
- Make a selection from the 3 to be had tiers – Elementary, Top class, or Top class+ – in accordance with the options you want and your finances.
- Make yourself familiar with each and every tier’s options to make sure they align along with your necessities.
The utmost to be had options as proven underneath the Top class+ tier
- Practice the activates to pay and whole the subscription procedure.
- As soon as subscribed, you’ll obtain a affirmation, and the X Top class options will grow to be to be had.
Exploring the core options of X Top class
X Top class customers on any tier above Elementary get get admission to to a laundry record of options – alternatively, it’s a horny lengthy record.
So, I picked out essentially the most related options for you as a author or small trade proprietor and what you want to understand, together with the advantages, downsides, and why it could be price the fee tag.
| Function | What it’s | Advantages | Downsides | Well worth the Value Tag? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edit Publish | Permits enhancing tweets post-publishing inside an hour | Proper mistakes, replace information, reinforce readability | Restricted to 1 hour, restrictions on edit rely | No – it was once frequently too buggy to get a lot use out of. I’m additionally now not used to enhancing my posts, so I didn’t trouble with it as a rule. |
| Longer Posts | Expands persona restrict as much as 25,000 | Delve deeper into subjects, extra complete content material | Longer structure might deter some readers | Without a doubt – this was once one function that I used so much and would pass over if I didn’t have X Top class anymore. |
| Prioritized Ratings in Replies | Boosts visibility of person interactions | Will increase engagement and achieve | Effectiveness varies with target market process | No – this isn’t a concern for most of the people and for those who’re seeking to get visibility, it could be higher to message the author or quote the tweet. |
| Bookmark Folders and Customized App Icons | Organizes content material and personalizes app icons | Is helping in analysis and content material curation; personalizes revel in | Extra about group and aesthetics | Possibly – for those who like arranged content material, this could be price the fee tag. It additionally makes a super swipe report as a result of you’ll be able to kind your content material higher. |
| Blue Checkmark (Top class and Top class+ tiers) | Verification image for profiles | Gives credibility and popularity | Verification procedure and eligibility standards could also be limitations | Without a doubt now not – most of the people cover their checkmarks since that possibility was once presented. |
| Income Sharing and Writer Subscriptions (Top class and Top class+ tiers) | Monetization choices | New income streams, financially viable platform | Relies on target market dimension and engagement ranges | Possibly – when you have a bigger target market, this is able to make the fee tag price it. Or possibly now not, with reviews of even better creators now not receiving as a lot income as when this system first introduced. |
| Advert Aid (Top class and Top class+ tiers) | Reduces advert presence at the platform | Cleaner surfing revel in, much less distraction | Does not do away with advertisements totally | Now not reasonably – I agree that I see much less advertisements, nevertheless it’s nonetheless too widespread for my choice |
| Longer Video Uploads | Extends video add limits | Permits importing longer movies | Restricted to precise platforms and units | Possibly – for those who most commonly add video content material, it is a nice approach to have. |
My non-public revel in with X Top class
My first word on switching to the X Top class person revel in was once: “I don’t have any clue what to do now.” I used to be accustomed to some the explanation why most of the people weren’t massive fanatics of subscribing to a social media platform. However I hadn’t noticed a lot about the advantages of subscribing (rather then income sharing) and why any person would possibly wish to take the soar.
So, I requested my target market what they’d wish to find out about the use of it and were given some useful questions.
Simply subscribed to Twitter? X? Blue and I’ll be documenting whether or not it’s price it over the following few months
What do you want to understand/will have to control 🤔👇🏾
— tamilore (@tamioladipo) August 11, 2023
A few other folks requested me to test in on how the achieve of my content material would alternate or strengthen over the 90 days.
Succeed in. I would like to understand if it is helping with giving your content material extra achieve, and if there is the rest right here that advantages creators asides the pay
— Gigii 🌶️ (@gigiipepperr) August 11, 2023
Succeed in as smartly 🙂
— Scotty | The “Unsightly Emails” Man (@el_ghostmailer) August 11, 2023
I additionally were given a request to test in on how long-form posts carry out. Those questions knowledgeable numerous how I approached my content material whilst doing this experiment.
Now, I’ve all the time been a textual content author, so my posting taste didn’t alternate – in reality, I posted not up to within the prior three-month era, with my frequency happening from 164 posts in 90 days to 94. Nonetheless, that made the effects extra spectacular – take a look at the research.
How my content material carried out prior to and after X Top class
X’s analytics go away a lot to be desired, so I’ve added knowledge from my Buffer analytics. There could be inconsistencies between the 2 datasets, so undergo with me.
With out additional ado, right here’s how my content material carried out over two other 90-day classes.
Ahead of X Top class
Ahead of X Top class, my process was once a lot upper. I shared 164 tweets and, in line with Buffer, were given:
- 198,873 impressions
- 1,938 likes
- 260 replies
- 313 retweets
- 2,080 clicks
- 391 new fans
Then, in line with Twitter, for a similar 90-day-period I were given roughly:
- 253,200 impressions
- 4.5 % engagement charge
- 2,300 likes
- 492 replies
- 335 retweets (with out feedback, aka quotes)
- 2,800 hyperlink clicks
Each and every tweet, on moderate, received 1,213 impressions and 48 engagements.
I will additionally draw a right away line from the increased efficiency of this era to 2 issues. One is a useful resource I shared that were given me extra engagement than customary, and two is a sequence of reports updates I used to proportion however have since paused.
Those two content material codecs skewed my effects upper than customary over this 90-day era.
After X Top class
After X Top class, despite the fact that my tweet rely decreased to 94, the engagement high quality remained prime, with a three.6 % engagement charge.
To dig in additional, in line with Buffer, I gained 287 replies, 326 retweets, and 556 hyperlink clicks.
- 186,630 impressions
- 1,661 likes
- 219 replies
- 273 retweets
- 32 clicks
- 242 new fans
Then, from my Twitter analytics, I will see that I gained roughly:
- 243,200 impressions
- 3.6 % engagement charge
- 2,100 likes
- 287 replies
- 326 retweets (with out feedback, aka quotes)
- 556 hyperlink clicks
What do those numbers imply?
This comparability unearths that despite the fact that my general process lowered post-subscription, the engagement high quality of my content material was once maintained.
Consistent with Twitter, the common day by day impressions best dropped to round 2,700 from 2,800.
Since I used to be publishing much less, subscribing to X Top class seems to have enhanced the achieve of each and every put up, contributing to extra impactful effects general.
So when you will have to take these types of stats with a grain of salt, seeing as there were demanding situations with X’s analytics and such large variations between each platforms I used to trace them, they’re useful to get an concept of the efficiency of my content material.
Is X Top class best for you?
Quick resolution: most certainly sure.
X Top class instantly turns out like a super are compatible for somebody taking a look to develop an engaged target market, particularly in case your content material is basically text-driven.
Options like enhancing and the power to make longer sort content material are beneficial for keeping up high quality and intensity in content material. A few of my best-performing posts had been longer, and so they did beautiful smartly.
It’s additionally nice for enticing along with your group since you get enhanced visibility thru prioritized scores in replies, which is a very powerful for target market enlargement.
On the other hand, the subscription has its boundaries. The affect of options like income sharing and author subscriptions’ is felt extra by means of the ones with an already established follower base – that are one of the most major attracts of the paid tier. The monetization advantages is probably not instantly tangible for those who’re more recent or have a small target market like me.
I nonetheless suppose X Top class can also be tough if you wish to refine your content material high quality and engagement methods, particularly for those who already possess a considerable following.
In the end, for smaller accounts or the ones simply beginning, you will have to weigh the incremental advantages of engagement and achieve and small upgrades in opposition to your funds prior to making an investment in X Top class.
Will you be subscribing to X Top class? Are you now subscribed? We might love to understand your revel in within the feedback – or you have to sign up for the Buffer group in Discord and proportion there.
