Twitter Might Add Different Buttons: Does Twitter Really Need Another Change?

Writing by Nick Stamoulis Tweet

The following is a guest post by Amanda DiSilvestro of Higher Visibility

One of the things that make Twitter so appealing is the fact that it’s easy to use. There aren’t too many choices when it comes to Twitter, and it is synced up with many websites and different tools to help make sure you can always tweet when you want to tweet. Recently, Twitter has been making some layout changes that have gotten people talking, but it seems to be safe to say that these changes didn’t deter anyone from using the network.

Some users are now starting to see changes not to the layout of the network, but to the buttons. Instead of a “favorite” option, Twitter is trying out “star” and “like” buttons. Interesting, right? Will the buttons make a difference to users? To Twitter? Does anyone even care?

New Twitter Buttons Being Tested

The new buttons have not showed up on every Twitter profile, and in fact some testing may have even stopped, but a few have seen the changes. Below is a screenshot of my Twitter account where you can see the new “like” next to the star:

Calling these “new buttons” isn’t completely accurate because the buttons aren’t actually new. These buttons simply replace the “favorite” button, but they serve the same purpose. If you liked a tweet, you can show that person by adding it as a favorite and putting it into your favorite list so you always have the tweet stored somewhere safe. Once again, Twitter hasn’t decided if they want to use these buttons, but it’s something to consider.

Marketing Takeaway

Although most users probably don’t care whether or not it says favorite, like, or start next to the littler start symbol, Twitter seemed to have an agenda. Twitter CEO Dick Costolo explained that favorite feels a little bit too heavy weight, and so they simply wanted to test lighter weight terms in the hopes of more user engagement.

Miranda Miller Search Engine Watch, on the other hand, makes the argument that Twitter could be looking at a potential monetization opportunity or some sort of social ad option. It is hard to believe that Twitter would change the “favorite” button just for users, so Miller might be on to something.

In either case, the marketing takeaway is this: Small details do matter. A small change of a word might not seem like a big deal, but if you think something should be tested, test it. The word “like” worked for Facebook. If you see an opportunity, it can’t hurt to give it a try.

What do you think about the possible new Twitter button names? Do you have a preference or a theory as to why Twitter is trying to make this change? Let us know in the comments below.

About the Author:

Amanda DiSilvestro is a graduate of Illinois State University. Although she graduated with an English Education degree, she found herself working as a full-time blogger in the SEO/social media department at HigherVisibility, a leading SEO company.