If you put it on a single, easily recognizable, easily accessible page (all new features, etc.), then many users will find it. You can even give a notification when a new feature is added (as long as kept to a reasonable amount).
Features that will go viral are worth adding for all, features that did not can be kept there.
You overestimate what people will understand from a technical description in a configuration option. Even if they were experimentally inclined, which most people are not, they probably wouldn't even notice the effect, particularly if not a new user. Twitter is a black box for most users.
Twitter very likely did market research on its effectiveness for the target market they were trying to please. Probably that's just not you.
Features that will go viral are worth adding for all, features that did not can be kept there.