X Eliminates Headlines from Post Link Previews

TL;DR

X is removing headlines in post link previews—an update that will impact brands and media outlets that frequently drive followers to owned website content.

The immediate next steps? Make sure post copy and visuals provide adequate context. Incorporate images where you can, and double-check the state of your pinned tweets.

Here’s the scoop.

Elon Musk is back with yet another change to X (formerly Twitter). This time, he’s eliminating headlines from link previews to external sites. The change will pose challenges for media outlets and brands seeking to point users to relevant webpages.

This move comes as X aims to maximize user engagement and time spent on the app, as Musk stated on X last Tuesday. He noted that this revised format should be considered an aesthetic improvement

However, since X has been a go-to destination for real-time news updates since its inception, the change might have more significant consequences. Some believe Musk is attempting to undermine news organizations, in the wake of his decision to upend the platform’s verification system and eliminate the team responsible for content monitoring.

The two main takeaways for brands?

1. Reach and click-through rates on posts with links are likely to suffer. However, those excluding links and/or relying on native publishing features could see a performance boost. This update is likely to also encourage more long-form content via Premium subscriptions, which will likely drive users to stay on X for longer periods of time, and in turn, may drive stronger overall platform engagement.

2. Brands will need to lean on native posting options in order to maximize X’s potential for engaging and educating their fans and customers. Directing social media users back to brands’ owned properties—including blogs and earned media placements—was previously a surefire way to optimize growth and monetization, but not anymore!

How should brands act?

Brands will need to shift their approach to posting on X, starting with an exploration of the following:

• Choose compelling and representative thumbnails, and tease content in post copy. If there are plans to post something with a link, ensure the thumbnail is representative of the story/content and there is adequate information in the post copy itself. Post copy will need to include more context as opposed to relying on headline copy to drive clicks (i.e. it’s going to get a lot more text-heavy pretty soon).

• Open the dialogue. Have conversations with journalists about this update. How is their organization addressing it? Do they think it will impact their work or change how they write headlines moving forward? The update won’t have any direct impact on brands’ day-to-day PR programming. However, they will need to reconsider how to share earned or paid media coverage on X. They’ll also need to evolve their measurement criteria as it relates to branding and/or messaging in headline inclusion.

• Consider adding images, videos, or GIFs to text-only posts. Brands and users alike will be looking for ways to make their content stand out among the surrounding text. Including compelling visuals may give your brand’s content a boost.

• Check pinned tweets to ensure they still make sense without webpage headlines included in previews. It’s unclear whether this update will retroactively impact existing posts, but you don’t want to be stuck with a confusing message at the top of your feed.

This is another update to add to the evolving X/Twitter saga, and we’re fully tapped in. Stay tuned for more updates from the Praytell Digital team!

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