Creators give us a more detailed understanding of the new X 'creator Ad Revenue feature'

Twitter creators, Shubh, Sahil and Ayushi Mishra talk to us about the new X creator Ad Revenue and how it's going to help the creator community.

X, formerly known as Twitter, has been a hub for networking for more than a decade, with people enjoying the chaos that the platform has to offer. Through constant expression of their thoughts within the limited characters, the platform has its own fair share of users who have grown to become celebrities. People follow these people to hear their thoughts on everything that’s trending and more. But unlike other platforms, these influencers received less to no benefits other than engagement on their tweets until X’s recent development. Which is why, the X creator ad revenue program has become a hit among people. Twitter creators have been sharing screenshots of being paid in lakhs as a part of its Ad Revenue Sharing feature. 

The feature enjoyed exclusively by users with X Blue Tick subscribers, the platform is now paying content creators, giving them an opportunity to earn from ads that are displayed on their posts and account. While many users were surprised by the development, they did not hide the sheer joy of getting the chance to be paid for their content on the platform.

Talking about the latest development, content creator Shubh who goes by Kadaipaneer on X, said, “Creator community will highly benefit from this ad revenue sharing scheme, and now they will not be solely dependent on brand collaborations from agencies which is also a good thing because they don't have to negotiate their brand value with anyone. Their content and audience will pay them back through monthly ad revenue, this is going to be a revolutionary step for both platform and users because now more people will start creating instead of consuming.”

Sahil (vibewithsahil) added, “Now, after the introduction of this ad revenue model by X, more users will subscribe to verified/blue tick. Also, creators will try every content format here on X to get more engagement. A harsh truth about creating content is that even an original content creator doesn’t have ownership of his own content and that’s the sad part. By monetising on X, at least we are getting something out of our content and it will motivate creators to create more.”

According to Ayushi Mishra, "The ability for creators to earn on the platform will likely empower and incentivise more content creation, attracting a diverse range of creators. This could lead to increased engagement, innovation, and a more vibrant creator community."

Even though creators are enjoying the new development, X is a little late to the party. The creator community has been enjoying earning money through their posts on platforms like YouTube and Instagram since a while. Them getting paid for their engagement on X, especially if they have subscribed for their blue tick makes their investment worthy now. When asked why they think it took so long for the platform to help their creators earn through it, Sahil feels that it has got a lot to do with their lack of knowledge of the same. Not to forget them being skeptical to pay for X verified/blue tick subscriptions every month. Ayushi believes that it has to do with a lot of different factors which include technological challenges, ensuring a sustainable monetisation model, and navigating legal and financial complexities.

That's why Shubh takes the time to explain what Ad Revenue is and means to the creator community in India. “As far as I can understand, Ad revenue sharing is a scheme by Elon Musk under which creators can earn a living directly on Twitter, so let's talk about how it works in simple terms: basically, it is a monetisation scheme where X will share the ads revenue profit with qualified/eligible creators. It'll help creators earn a living and will encourage them to make more content just like YT.”

To join the club and have the chance to enjoy the update, there's a creator mandate that people should be aware of. It includes three basic criteria which are - Users should have subscribed to Twitter Blue subscription which costs around 900 per month. Users must have more than 500 active followers on X. And have at least 15M organic impressions on their own posts within the last 3 months.

With each update, one can always find ways to salvage the same for their own benefit. Being a creator and knowing the direction to take so yyou can grow and perform better on these platforms is important. Ayushi believes that creators should focus on producing valuable, engaging, and unique content that resonates with their target audience. “Consistency, authenticity, and building a strong community around their content can help them attract more followers and increase their chances of earning revenue.” Additionally, she also feels that staying updated on the platform's policies and trends is crucial for maximising this opportunity.

Even though not everyone is aware of the update, Shubh knows for a fact that creators will try to extract as much as they can because of how uncertain everyone feels about the continuity of this scheme. “But surely the creators who worked hard to grow on the platform will get paid off for their hard work and consistency.” Sahil is of the opinion that every good thing comes with a con. As a creator who has been in the business, he had his own ideas of how X can contribute in creating a better user experience. He said, “While 15M impressions is a mandate, users will create fake profiles and also this will now be a business of many to provide engagements just like followers. We can call it Engagement as a Service, but I hope there should be something implemented by the X team to detect these unusual activities.”

Also Read: Has Meta Verified impacted the creator community? Content creators share their take

So far creators are enjoying and appreciating how the platform is encouraging creator growth and engagement on the platform. Creators’ had their thoughts to share regarding the same.

In terms of growth, creators will get the motivation to create more because they can generate some revenue out of their content, according to Sahil. "I believe creators will try to create more engaging content to leverage the advantages. And if they are more actively creating content then eventually they’ll grow.” Meanwhile, Ayushi believes that the ability to earn revenue has the potential to positively impact a creator's growth on the platform. "It can motivate them to invest more time and effort into their content, attract a larger audience, and potentially lead to collaborations and partnerships that boost their visibility.” There are both pros and cons on the growth part, as it'll be hard for new creators to compete with big ones who are already on top and a feeling of competition/comparison will emerge within users. But on the pros part, Shubh thinks that creators will be encouraged to create something new for their audience which can add value, fun and uniqueness in their scrolling experience. "The monetization scheme will encourage them to make something new because now they're getting paid for it by platform, but back in time they were less motivated to actively post due to lack of monetary push."

Have you had the chance to look at the update yet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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