Back in late 2019, Twitter had launched it new Topics feature, This allowed users to easily discover tweets related to the conversations on topics that garnered their interest, and the accounts publishing them.
Given the high usage of platform in the Middle East, Twitter has now launched it in the Arabic language for the region.
Intricate details
Topics was first launched in November 2019, giving people the chance to see the most relevant and interesting tweets. Prompts show up in your timeline based on accounts you follow and other engagement metrics based on content you prefer.
According to Campaign ME, Twitter is adding new topics almost every week based on the volume of conversation (tweeting, retweeting, replying, and liking tweets). If there’s more conversation activity, it’s more likely to be evaluated to be included as a topic in the future. To find the most relevant Tweets, Twitter starts by identifying the people on the platform who are most interested in a given Topic using machine learning.
Users who follow a certain Topic will see tweets that are personalized based on their respective engagement activity. Suggested Topics aren’t restricted to your timeline. The Explore section will also highlight other topics that interest you. Then it’s only one-tap to follow up and tweets will start populating your timeline. If you don’t like a Topic, you can easily just dismiss it and the same process applies for tweets that you don’t prefer for topics you follow.
Finding the correct users
Machine learning serves as the backbone in identifying the people interested in a Topic. Whether it’s fan accounts or Verified users, Twitter’s systems would be searching all across the board to ensure relevancy. Users who tweet a lot about the topic or interact with similar tweets would be additional signals being evaluated. Keywords also play a role and given the different Arabic dialects across the Middle East, they would likely play a role in grouping relevant tweets under a common Topic.
You might think that this would easily allow spammy tweets to show up if you follow a topic. Twitter has a team dedicated to keeping on engagement activity that looks manipulated or spammy. Activity like reports, blocks, and dismissing similar recommendations also influence the ranking and filtering of tweets for each Topic. Tweets that criticize or satirize are also included for any Topic, since they’re a normal part of any healthy conversation.
Current topics in Arabic include sports, music, gaming and actors. Some of them will also have specific sub-topics, allowing users to follow a specific one. To start using it, users need to be using the Twitter app in Arabic or one can use the Topic Browser. As Ramadan is just around the corner, expect to see more topics added in the coming weeks that are relevant to the Arabic-speaking audience.
Image credit: Twitter MENA
