Is Spill the New Online Hub for Black Culture?

As many users continue to seek alternatives to Twitter, Spill has started to trend as #BlackTwitter encouraged their followers to join them on the app.  

It is worth noting that Meta is taking advantage of this moment and launched a Twitter-like social platform, Threads – a stand-alone app that is connected to Instagram. Launching with creators was brilliant marketing and there seems to have discoverability on the roadmap, which is no small feat. Threads offers a few key standouts from its competitors: currently free with no limits to user posts and enforcing identity verification through the reservation of handles/badges. Yet as we think about prioritizing users, there are concerns around the lack of accessibility of the platform and whether the platform was ready to launch. A note to all of us, if we aren’t centering all perspectives in the design phase, we lack inclusion.

But let’s get back to Spill. Alphonzo "Phonz" Terrell and DeVaris Brown created Spill — two former Twitter employees – with a mission to provide "visual conversation at the speed of culture" that’s also rooted in meme culture (which got its start and grew in popularity by Black and Queer Culture), is something our teams are celebrating. Although it’s still in beta and only available on iPhone, the newest Black-owned cultural hub became the #1 most downloaded app in the App Store with over 130k users joining.  

As part of that 130K community, we've been spillin' tea, and here are our takeaways so far:  

• The interface is like Twitter but with upgrades that will please consumers. While the app’s interface is reminiscent of Twitter, it is also intuitive and easy to navigate. "Spills," aka the new "tweets," are primarily text-based, but photos and videos can be shared with a text overlay. Additionally, "likes" are now visualized as a teacup emoji, users can quote and unquote spills, and timelines are separated between "Fresh Tea" (akin to a "For You" feed) and "My Brew" (which only shows spills from the people you follow).  
• Spill plays no games with safety and moderation. This is important for users, advertisers, and brands: Spill is doubling down on creating and being a safe space for Black, Brown, and Queer users. Community management is taken seriously at Spill by filtering out hate speech and recognizing the contributions of the Black community in driving social media trends. Hate speech runs rampant across other social platforms, so it's refreshing as a user to know that this platform is working behind the scenes to be a safe space for marginalized users and creators.  
• Monetization with intentionality. Spill has clarified that they want to partner with brands that share their values. Early partners are experimenting with sponsored experiences, exclusive content drops, and support for the creator community. IRL, Spill will be at red carpets and premieres, bringing exclusive content to the app, a first of its kind opportunity for brands to connect through cultural moments. In the meantime, we have seen the team mass communicating with users through "Sponsored" posts at the top of the main feed called "Fresh Tea." So, brands, be sure to lean into more memeable visuals, short and witty texts, or reminder-based sponsored content on the app.  

Our takeaway so far? We love to see it and are rooting for the platform to fulfill its claims, especially when it comes to keeping hate away from marginalized communities. No one person or social media platform can buy culture, but it is everyone’s responsibility to protect those who drive it. Also, we are always here for emerging partners in the diverse-owned space. In the meantime, can Android users get some love?