X unveils ‘Radar’: Real-time trend analysis tool for premium+ users to spot viral moments

X rolled out access to its new rebranded trend analysis tool Radar, formerly known as Insights, for its select premium+ customers today. While Elon Musk-owned X, erstwhile Twitter, introduced Radar, on Friday, users can now track conversation volume and velocity through keyword analytics, making it easier to spot emerging trends as they happen.

“Whether you’re a content creator, investor, journalist, or just curious about celebrity drama, Radar gives you the upper hand in spotting trends before they take off,” read a post by Premium on X. “It's the most powerful (and fun) way to stay ahead on X,” the post said.

What changes with Radar?

Radar enables users to track relevant brands and products by utilising specific keywords and exclusions, helping them stay updated on their competition. Users can enter keywords or hashtags to receive the latest updates filtered by time and relevance, offering a more dynamic experience for Premium+ subscribers compared to regular users. Premium+ users can customise their searches with filters such as keywords, media types, accounts, and engagement levels, whereas basic users only have access to the explore locations filter.

Like Google Trends, it identifies spikes in conversations, allowing users to catch viral topics early. By leveraging X’s fast-moving data stream, Radar surfaces real-time content based on live events. For instance, during major events like sports matches or elections, Radar provides the most current tweets, images, and videos, continuously refreshing results to ensure subscribers don't miss critical updates. Additionally, Radar includes a live stream of posts tailored to individual users' interests or industries.

While Insights was initially targeted at Verified Organisations, Radar now appeals to a broader audience, providing more affordable access to advanced analytics compared to its predecessor, which was priced at $1,000 per month. Premium+ costs ~$15.66 per month or ~$163.86 per year and includes access to Radar, X Pro (formerly TweetDeck), Media Studio, and the Grok AI chatbot. These tools offer users the ability to visualise trends, plan optimal posting times, and manage their social presence with ease.

In August, the platform also announced an ad-free experience for its Premium+ subscribers.

The latest move suggests that the platform is shifting its focus from being a mere social media microblogging service to developing into a marketplace for businesses.

X currently offers three subscription tiers: the Basic tier, which has no ad reduction; the Premium tier, which provides about 50% fewer ads in the ‘For You’ and ‘Following Timelines’ but maintains the same ad levels elsewhere; and the Premium+ tier, which offers an ad-free experience with occasional sponsored content. By limiting access to the Radar tool to Premium+ subscribers, X positions it as a high-value feature for top-tier users, encouraging upgrades as demand for real-time information increases and supporting the platform's monetisation strategy through exclusive features.

X announced that Radar will launch as an early version with more updates to follow, though only select subscribers will gain immediate access. While officially revealed Monday, some users had noticed Radar’s arrival earlier this month, hinting at its enhanced search capabilities.

The platform faces a challenge as its value to brands declines, leading to reduced demand for its Premium offerings and prompting businesses to explore other platforms. As per Statista, as of April 2023, there were around 640 thousand X Premium subscribers. The focus on selling blue ticks has backfired, resulting in a significant drop in monthly active users amid increasing competition from newcomers like BlueSky and Threads. In August, Threads announced plans to introduce similar features, including insights. Less than a year ago, it launched threads.net, followed by a new web experience in May, allowing users to pin columns for searches, profiles, and tags with real-time updates. The Threads API, launched in June, helps creators and businesses manage their presence at scale. However, Threads currently lacks a trending section like X.

Since Elon Musk's takeover, X has fallen to the 12th most-used social media platform, with only 611 million monthly active users compared to Facebook's 3.07 billion. As of April 2024, X/Twitter had 25 million users in India.