As our dependence on technology grows and as social media platforms adapt to stay relevant, we have noticed a lot of updates this year. From Instagram introducing Reels, to Facebook Messaging integrating with Instagram, and LinkedIn adding stories, there have been a lot of changes to our favorite platforms. Today, Twitter announced their latest initiative: Fleets.

I won’t lie, when I saw the news this morning that Twitter was introducing Fleets, I had to check my calendar. Was it April Fools’ Day already? Was Twitter hacked by ironic Gen Z hackers? Turns out, no! 

What Are Fleets? 

Fleets are disappearing tweets that live on your profile for 24 hours. You can view them at the top of your Timeline from the people you follow; they’ll show up as bubbles in a row. These “disappearing messages” are meant to be casual thoughts of the user, fleeting ideas that aren’t profound enough for the main timeline.

At a basic and functional level, Fleets is a clone of Instagram and Snapchat stories, using the features users liked on both platforms and repurposing it for Twitter. You can post plain text, respond to others, or post photos/videos with the same background color and text options you get on other apps with these features. Twitter has hinted it will also be introducing stickers and live broadcasting at some point in the future. 

Why Did Twitter Create Fleets? 

Earlier this year, Twitter announced they would be testing ephemeral tweets in Brazil. With the popularity of Stories on Instagram and now on Facebook, we have to assume that Twitter created Fleets to try and take back some of the ground it lost to Instagram, Snapchat, and other platforms in recent years. 

In a recent blog post, Twitter explained their reasoning for Fleets: 

“Those new to Twitter found Fleets to be an easier way to share what's on their mind. Because they disappear from view after a day, Fleets helped people feel more comfortable sharing personal and casual thoughts, opinions, and feelings. These are early findings from our tests and we’re excited to learn more about how Fleets are used by you.” (source)

Final Thoughts

Before I finish, I’d like to end with a bit of criticism as someone that has been using, learning, and working in social media platforms for the majority of my career. The updates rolled out this year give me a bit of concern as a Marketing Manager and as a passionate social media consumer. The reason we enjoy these platforms is because they offer something different. I stay connected with family and friends on Facebook, I get my news from Twitter, I seek out creativity on Instagram, and I give the illusion I’m a seasoned professional on LinkedIn. As a Marketing Manager, I brainstorm different messaging for the different platforms that iFrog has a profile on. With each new update, these platforms seem to be imitating each other and slowly molding into the same beast. What is my motivation to differentiate the messaging if they all have the same features? 

At iFrog Marketing Solutions, We Cultivate Relationships That Connect People And Brands and believe in creating strong social media solutions for our partners. We analyze, we adapt, and we bring solutions to get our partners ahead of their competition. Ready to take the leap? Contact us today!