Digital newsletters are having a bit of a moment. The unpredictability of journalism, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, has seen writers looking for new ways to connect to audiences.
The rise of digital newsletter platforms such as Substack and Medium have created a space for writers, some with limited resources, to share their work directly with an audience without the constraints of editors, advertisers, or fact-checkers.
In a nutshell, these platforms allow users to subscribe to their preferred creators and receive both free and monetised content straight to their inbox. Unlike their more traditional counterparts, such as Mailchimp and Hubspot, these newsletter platforms are less about marketing and more focused on personal, creative content.
TWITTER’S LATEST PURCHASE
Earlier this year, Twitter announced its acquisition of the newsletter company Revue. The purchase was one of a series by Twitter in a bid to expand its offering and explore alternate revenue streams.
The purchase of Revue in particular appears to be part of Twitter’s efforts to directly compete with other digital newsletter platforms such as Substack, Medium, and Facebook’s new venture, Bulletin (launched in June 2021 and currently only available to hand-picked creators). It is the company’s first foray into long-form content and subscription revenue.
In a joint statement, Twitter’s product chief, Kayvon Beykpour, and vice president of publisher products, Mike Park, said that “Revue will accelerate our work to help people stay informed about their interests while giving all types of writers a way to monetize their audience – whether it’s through the one they built at a publication, their website, on Twitter, or elsewhere”.
Since Revue’s introduction, Twitter has begun to introduce functions that allow users to subscribe to their favourite Revue creators directly through their Twitter account. Although integration is still limited to testing, Revue creators can now link their newsletter directly in their Twitter bio.