Twitter Tests Longer Posts and Creator Monetization in the United States
Twitter is moving toward a broader form of expression yet again. The platform announced on a recent Friday that paying subscribers will be able to send messages reaching up to 10,000 characters. The move signals a shift in how users can share long thoughts, essays, and articles directly in their timelines. Earlier in the year, Twitter expanded tweet length from 280 characters to 4,000 characters, and now the added capacity expands even further, a growth described by some observers as a substantial leap forward.
Alongside longer messages, Twitter unveiled another major update. Subscriptions will unlock the ability for certain accounts to earn money from their content. In addition, formatting options for posts will be extended, with bold and italic styling available to subscribers. This combination aims to enhance the value creators can offer to their audiences on the platform.
Access to these features will be limited to Twitter Blue, the premium plan priced in the range of eight to eleven euros per month in some markets. For the time being, monetization capabilities are restricted to users located in the United States, underscoring a phased rollout approach as the platform tests how best to monetize longer-form content and creator earnings.
The update is part of a broader strategy to compete with newsletter platforms that have grown in influence. Substack and similar services have reshaped how writers reach readers by packaging email newsletters with paid subscriptions. Twitter’s leadership has a history of experimenting with long-form messaging and even acquiring a newsletter company in the past. The company bought Revue in 2021, a move that positioned it as a player in the newsletter space, while recent leadership shifts have redirected that course. The new plan appears to blend social posting with paid newsletters to capture a share of this growing market.
Recent developments come at a moment of tension between Twitter and Substack. The two had enjoyed a collaborative relationship as Substack expanded its notes feature, a space designed to help creators find audiences, which some viewed as a rival to Twitter. When Substack introduced this feature, tensions rose, and some users who shared Substack links on Twitter faced penalties. In this context, opening the door to 10,000-character posts can be seen as a strategic move by Twitter to strengthen its position in the creator economy and to attract newsletter-like content directly within its ecosystem.
Industry observers note that the broader economic climate adds pressure to redefine revenue streams for social platforms. In times of economic volatility, both Twitter and Substack must innovate to maintain momentum. Substack focuses on paid mailing lists for revenue, while Twitter seeks advantages through creator monetization and longer-form posting. Analysts suggest that the shifts reflect a larger push toward diversified income models in online publishing. Some voices in the tech community describe the situation as a rivalry between two strong players competing for the same creator audience.
For creators in Canada and the United States, these changes could simplify the path to publishing longer thoughts and earning revenue from a trusted audience, all without leaving the platform. The combination of extended post length, publication styling options, and monetization tools may redefine how readers engage with long-form content on social media. As Twitter continues to test these features, the reception from creators and subscribers will shape how quickly the feature expands to additional markets and what form future iterations may take. The evolving landscape suggests that social networks are increasingly merging the lines between microblogging, traditional blogging, and paid newsletters, giving writers more control over how they share ideas and earn income. This shift may influence how Canadian and American readers discover, follow, and pay for high-quality content going forward, as platforms seek to balance openness with sustainable monetization strategies, according to industry analysts cited in market reviews (industry observers).