Twitter began rolling out Blue for Business on Monday, which—as its name suggests—is a version of its Twitter Blue subscription service with extra perks for businesses.
The feature is described as a “new way for businesses and their affiliates to verify and distinguish themselves on Twitter.” That includes the use of a square profile picture instead of a round one.
Businesses subscribed to Twitter Blue will get a gold checkmark and can link any number of their employees, as well as other businesses and brands, to their account. Employees will get a small badge featuring their company’s profile picture, shown next to their checkmark.
Twitter, which said more will be shared on how the feature will operate at a later date, added: “Businesses can affiliate their leadership, brands, support handles, employees or teams. Journalists, sports team players or movie characters can all be affiliated.”
The move, Twitter said, would make it possible for businesses to create networks within their own organizations on the site.
The feature comes amid a haphazard relaunch of Twitter Blue, which costs $8 per month, or $11 if you sign up on iOS, thanks to Apple's 30% in-app purchase tax. Alongside gold checkmarks for businesses, Twitter is in the process of rolling out gray checkmarks for official government and multilateral organization accounts.
As some advocates have pointed out, though, a color-based scheme may not be the most accessible choice, as those who are color blind, for example, won't see a difference between a gray and blue checkmark.
Twitter hasn’t shared Blue for Business’ pricing structure yet, and the project is being piloted with a “limited number of businesses." Twitter planning to expand the program next year.
Meanwhile, it appears that Elon Musk might not head the social media site much longer after 57.5% of users voted "yes" in a poll asking if he should step down as Twitter’s CEO. However, in his first comments since the closure of the poll, Musk said that only paying Twitter Blue subscribers will be able to vote in future policy-related polls. He also called a tweet by a user who suggested the poll may have been rigged by bots, “interesting.”