I started using the new Articles features on X intensively and I want to share my first thoughts, why or when you should start using it, the advantages as well as the disadvantages and some tips for X and Elon Musk to make it better. Conclusion at the end of the article. Spoiler alert, I like X Articles
In-depth content creation: X Articles allows users to create long-form content with rich formatting options like headings, bullet points, and media embeds. This is ideal for sharing detailed stories, insights, and research.
Professional profile building: X Articles can transform your profile into a dynamic digital business card. You can showcase your expertise and establish your authority in a particular field, fostering trust with your audience.
Challenges and areas for improvement: Currently, X Articles have limitations like lack of SEO integration, poor presentation within the app, and difficulty in promotion. User engagement seems to be lower for Articles compared to other content formats.
What are X Articles?
X Articles is a fresh way to share longer stories and insights on X. It's all about giving your words and ideas more room to breathe, letting you mix in photos, videos, and even tweets to make your point.
Right now, it's something only available for Premium+ accounts and verified organizations.
Elon Musk's X introduced the 'Articles' feature to transform the platform into an all-encompassing "super app" or "everything app" similar to WeChat in China.
The goal is to offer a wide range of services and features, such as messaging, social media posts, mini-programs, payment services, and more, all within one app.
The goal is to attract more users and increase the platform's overall usage,
The 'Articles' feature is a step towards this goal
What are the difference between Articles and Long Posts?
When it comes to sharing your thoughts in detail, X Articles bring a whole new level of polish and depth.
Unlike regular long posts, Articles let you use all kinds of formatting tricks like headings, bullet lists, and quotes, making your pieces look as good as anything you'd find on professional blogging platforms.
An example of real a bullet point list, makes the article more readable
The whole process of writing and adding media like photos, videos, or even other tweets is smooth and straightforward.
An example of an X Article embedded
When you publish, it doesn't just feel like another post; it's more like you've put a true blog article right on X.
What to like about X Articles
X Articles allow us to showcase our professional insights and detailed research right on our profiles, making them more than just a social media presence; your X profile transforms into a dynamic, digital business card.
You only have a fraction of a second to make a first impression, X articles offer a way to immediately demonstrate depth and expertise to anyone who stumbles upon our profile.
Beyond this, X Articles bring several other benefits. They provide a platform for nuanced discussion, enabling us to explore topics in depth that might be too complex for shorter posts.
They also improve our visibility and discoverability on X, as well-crafted, informative Articles can attract a wider audience.
(When a few updates, discussed further in this article, are added. Elon Musk, please push them)
X articles give us the space to establish our voice and authority in our field, building trust with our audience over time.
Disadvantages of X Articles
As with every new feature, X Articles have some challenges and what I hope to see improved soon
App Presentation
The way Articles appear in the app is not as visually appealing as it could be, with a layout that doesn't showcase the content well.
How articles are on the web (mobile and desktop)
Versus How articles are on the app (android)
Publishing Process
Upon publishing an Article, there's no option to add a personal message or context, like highlighting key takeaways, which platforms like LinkedIn offer. Other post forms, like Videos, external links can add extra text
Promotion Difficulties
When trying to promote Articles via the ad system, previews don't accurately show, and ads don't always reach the audience, likely due to a lack of integration between Articles and the promotional tools.
(Elon Musk, why don't you want my money?)
The following Quick Promote campaign was "running" for several hours, still zero views
SEO and Search Engines
I checked if my articles on X are indexed on Google Search engines, like my LinkedIn articles. Currently, I couldn't find them and neither did I see any other X article indexed.
This can have several reasons, and I am sure it will be added soon. Another disadvantage is that you can't add a canonical URL to an article, like you can do on Medium and LinkedIn
Improving these aspects could significantly enhance the user experience and effectiveness of X Articles, as well as generating more revenue for X.
Impact on views and engagement
When looking at the impact of X Articles on views and engagement, the current feedback and data suggest a mixed picture
Engagement Levels
There doesn't seem to be a significant difference in engagement or views for Articles compared to posts with videos or questions, even when the topics are similar and more detailed layouts are used in Articles.
A key issue appears to be how Articles are displayed in the X app, which may not be as appealing as other content types, potentially affecting their visibility and engagement.
User Behaviour
The preference for quick, scrollable content over clicking links that seem to lead outside of X might deter engagement with Articles.
The design on the Mobile Web and Desktop is already way more appealing and engaging than the App version
Improving these aspects could encourage more users, companies, and journalists to embrace X Articles, boosting content creation and engagement on the platform.
Conclusion
The new feature, X Articles, is a big step forward for the platform. It's awesome because it mixes the fun, easy posts we all love with deeper, more thought-out articles.
This way, everyone can find something they like. X Articles are here to fill in the gap for those looking for something more than what the usual X Posts offer.
Of course, there are a few bumps in the road. You need to be on the Premium+ plan, and right now, that doesn't automatically mean more people will create articles. As well, articles don't create more views.
It's a bit of a downer, especially when we're all trying to get more eyes on our work, like we do on our blogs or websites.
But, I'm not losing sleep over it. These issues are just stepping stones for the platform to get even better.
I'm all in, still using it and putting out articles because I really believe in this feature.
For now, keeping my Premium+ just for X Articles feels worth it. I'm excited to see where this goes and can't wait to share more about it in a couple of months with a fresh article on X Articles.
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