Twitter has made the headlines multiple times over the past month, but this time, the news is not as controversial as several others have been. In a tweet, it announced that it is rolling out Twitter Blue for Business, its subscription-based model that has seen tumultuous and confusing times of late as a means to help brands and affiliates verify themselves on the platform.
Twitter Blue for Business offers companies – the ones that subscribe to it – the ability to distinguish their key employees and brands on the micro-blogging site with a small badge – alongside the blue or gold tick checkmark – of the parent company’s profile picture. In the case of individual employees, their accounts will sport the iconic Blue Tick checkmark, while brands and other affiliates will have the gold checkmark.
The company badge, in a twist from Twitter’s long-standing stance of round profile pictures (which it changed recently), is square in shape and establishes that the individuals or brands are recognized by the company. However, in a tiny footnote, Twitter concluded that all the features of Blue for Business may not be available on all platforms and that they “may change periodically.”
Today, we’re rolling out Twitter Blue for Business, a new program that lets businesses distinguish their brands and key employees on Twitter. These accounts will show a square company badge next to their display names. pic.twitter.com/d6sNPqFNnY
— Twitter Business (@TwitterBusiness) December 19, 2022
“We are taking Twitter Blue’s rollout as an opportunity to further enhance and distinguish businesses on Twitter,” the company said in an official statement. It added that with Blue for Businesses, companies will be able to affiliate their “leadership, brands, support handles, employees or teams,” along with “journalists, sports team players or movie characters.” Twitter added that it will verify each affiliate, who will be officially linked to their parent handle based on a list that the parent company shall provide.
If you open Twitter today, then you will already see the company badges on select accounts of these brands and “key employees.” Esther Crawford, product manager at Twitter, informed in a tweet that the social media company is launching the pilot program for Blue for Business from today with a handful of businesses.
We’re launching the pilot of Blue for Business so beginning today you’ll start seeing company badges on select profiles. We’ll soon be expanding the program and look forward to having more businesses added in the new year! https://t.co/ytnMRO5rcE
— Esther Crawford ✨ (@esthercrawford) December 19, 2022
Don’t be surprised if you see the profile picture of Twitter Business’ official account being in the shape of a rounded square – several brands, media houses, and others now find themselves with rounded square profile pictures as Twitter continues to make things complex (as if its work on checkmarks, labels, and badges weren’t complex enough).
While Twitter Blue for Business is currently in pilot with select businesses, Crawford promises that the pilot will soon be expanded to bring a greater number of businesses into the fold. This change will come once the new year comes.
In other Twitter Blue-related news, CEO Elon Musk informed that only Blue subscribers will be able to vote on “major policy decisions,” which comes soon after the billionaire pledged to submit future decisions on policies to votes by Twitter users. His very first move backfired spectacularly as a poll asking whether he should step down as head of Twitter saw more than 10 million votes in favor of it. So far, Musk is yet to actually follow through (he said that he would abide by the results when he first put the poll out) and relinquish his position.
