7 features to expect from Twitter Premium

Reports are suggesting that Twitter Premium (read: paid for) accounts, might be appearing before the end of the year.

So, in handing over our hard-earned cash, what features might we expect in return?

Here are my thoughts on what I would and would not like to see in a two tiered Twitter world…

GOOD

1. Analytics – This one seems like a dead-cert. Whilst there are numerous analytical tools that have cropped up using the Twitter API, they still all depend on the data that Twitter does or doesn’t not allow them to access. Giving premium accounts access to more data (especially historical data) would have obvious benefits to brands and super-users and would certainly persuade a vast number of these to invest. The ability to track follower behaviour and ROI, for example, would be worth paying for.

2. Verification – It is pretty much guaranteed that there will be some sort of ‘verification’ of premium accounts, so that you know the person/company you are dealing with is who they say they are. This will obviously inspire trust in the account holder(s) and will give brand peace of mind. I can see the benefit of verified accounts and it would certainly persuade some to sign up I’d imagine.

3. Commercial APIs – The data access that clients like Tweetdeck, Seesmic and CoTweet rely on to give users access is limited by Twitter. If advanced analytics are available to premium accounts, then expect this to be fed into these clients also, giving us a new breed of super-charged business-focused tools.

4. Enhanced profiles – This makes a lot of sense. Providing premium users with additional profile real estate, perhaps with more links or even the ability to display images or adverts. This wouldn’t really affect the experience of normal users, but would certainly add further value for businesses.

5. Support – It is highly likely that premium users will get a hotline to the big T, allowing them to get support, help and possibly even advice on how they could improve their use of the service.

BAD

6. More than 140 characters - anything that messes with the fundamental principles of Twitter is bad in my eyes. The idea that premium accounts would have more than 140 characters to play with, strikes me as changing the very fabric of what Twitter is and why we love it.

7. Multiple users – I’m torn on this one. It is possible that premium accounts would permit access by more than one person – a bit like the way companies like Ford tags company tweets written by certain individuals. I fear though that this again plays too much with the fabric of Twitter. This is a tool designed for individual communication (whether brand or person etc.).

What about you? What would you like to see in a Twitter Premium offering?

picture credit

Danny Whatmough