The distinctions between platform and publisher, average Joe and influencer, continue to blur— underscored by a raft of new social platform announcements. 

The dramatic digital shift caused by the pandemic contributed to the success of platforms like TikTok, which embrace user-generated content as their selling point. As micro and macro influencers gain followers, they can now leverage demand for their content into real paydays. 

It’s forcing platforms like Twitter to reassess their monetization options for users, both to retain their audience and provide a way to generate revenue for their most popular accounts. 

Twitter recently unveiled the look of its new pay-to-play “Super Followers” feature in the footsteps of Instagram and Substack, which allows individual users to monetize their content. 

The new “Super Followers” count would be shown alongside the regular Followers number, with the intention of inspiring people to become paid monthly subscribers to exclusive tweets and extra content from their favorite accounts.

The related news that Twitter just relaunched its verification program – an important step on the path to a Super Following– overwhelmed the company so much that they paused the program just eight days after they announced its relaunch.

Meanwhile, Substack has no intention of backing down as it continues to grow its global foothold.

As users begin to really understand the value of their content – from funny tweets to insightful newsletters – watch for platforms to keep competing to help them monetize it.