Twitter really can’t go a day without releasing new products. But if you’re running an account for a business or a public figure, its latest addition might capture your interest. Soon, businesses and creators will be able to opt into “professional accounts,” giving them additional tools to distinguish their profile, quickly promote content through ads, and capitalize on Twitter’s future e-commerce efforts.
Though Twitter has introduced monetization options for popular tweeters, it hasn’t widely introduced different profile types for businesses, which its competitors at Facebook, Instagram and TikTok have already had for a while.
Image Credits: Twitter
Twitter classifies anyone who uses Twitter for work as a professional — to qualify for a professional account, users have no repeated history of violating guidelines, and they must be authentic, with an account name, bio, and profile picture. That means no fictional characters, parody accounts, or pet accounts allowed (but some pets do have enough of a social following to make their owners money, in which case… is the dog a professional? 🤔 ).
Not all users have the capability to switch to a professional account just yet. But, when it’s available, users will be able to find a Twitter for Professionals tab by swiping open the sidebar from the Home timeline on the app. A “Switch to Professional” tab will also appear under profile settings. Then, select the most accurate category and either a business or creator account type. Once you’ve converted to a professional account, you will be prompted to follow topics, promote a tweet in an ad campaign, or customize your profile with modules. These include an about module, a shop module, and a newsletter module for users on Revue, the newsletter service Twitter acquired early this year.
Image Credits: Twitter
If you decide that maybe you’re more of an amateur tweeter than a professional, it’s possible to switch your account back by navigating to edit profile, then edit professional profile, then switch account type. You can also toggle between whether you’re a business or a creator account, because at this point, sometimes it’s hard to tell! Twitter also wrote in its FAQ that you can only convert an existing Twitter account to a professional account (you can’t make a new account professional to begin with), and as of now, Twitter doesn’t have plans to allow for ads targeting professional accounts specifically.