Twitter is testing a bit of new terminology this morning that could lead to confusion for some members.

The company often tests variations of new features and designs in an effort to keep the service fresh. This current round of A/B testing replaces ‘Favorite’ with the term ‘Like’ or ‘Star.’

Favorites are often represented by a star icon next to a tweet or the word ‘Favorite’ depending which platform you’re using. They’re commonly used when someone either likes a tweet or wants to save it to look back on later.

For businesses, Favorites are a great way to bookmark positive tweets or can be used as reminders to follow up on a questions or requests from your followers. Depending on the original poster’s settings, he or she might receive an email notification when his or her tweet has been favorited.

Although it’s a minor change affecting a very small subset of members, not everyone is excited about the possibility of this becoming permanent. TechCrunch notes, “The word ‘like’ just makes users think too much before using the button, plus it could change the meaning and usage of the button moving forward in the future.”

Everyone uses Twitter Favorites differently, just like everyone probably has a different reason for clicking ‘Like’ on Facebook. We don’t recommend stressing over the smaller details. Instead, focus on how you would like your social media team to utilize these features. If it works well for you, don’t worry about what Company XYZ is doing.

[Via: TechCrunch, Image credit: Helen K]