Pascal Oparada
Twitter has joined a long list of social media platforms using disappearing messages within 24 hours, which it calls fleets.
After it was first launched by Snapchat in 2017 and cloned by Facebook across all its platforms – Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram – other social media platforms like LinkedIn have cashed in on the disappearing messages feature.
Digital and social media marketers see the feature as a veritable tool for marketing and advertising campaigns.
Twitter has previously announced its plan for these ephemeral tweets, dubbed “fleets”, and tested the feature in Brazil, Italy, India, and South Korea.
“Some of you tell us that tweeting is uncomfortable because it feels so public, so permanent, and like there’s so much pressure to rack up retweets and likes,” Twitter’s design director, Joshua Harris, and product manager, Sam Haveson, wrote in a blog post.
“Because they disappear from view after a day, fleets helped people feel more comfortable sharing personal and casual thoughts, opinions, and feelings.”
Some Twitter users experimenting with the tool said it had created worrying opportunities for online harassment, like allowing unwanted direct messages. It also allowed fleet authors to tag people who had blocked them. Twitter said it was listening to feedback and working on fixes for such safety concerns.
Users in Nigeria started seeing the feature on Friday, November 20, and have since dived into the new addition.
As digital marketers look for more ways to reach clients, disappearing messages are more appealing to short-term campaigns and adverts.
