Twitter has announced that it will begin sharing a portion of its ad revenues with verified creators who are signed up for Twitter Blue, the company's premium subscription service.
To be eligible for the program, creators must have at least 5 million impressions on their posts in each of the last 3 months and have a Stripe payment account. Once they are eligible, creators can choose to opt in to the program and start earning a share of the revenue from ads that are displayed in their replies.
The amount of revenue that creators earn will depend on a number of factors, including the number of impressions their posts receive, the type of ads that are displayed, and the overall engagement of their audience. It's the latest move by the social media giant to steady the ship and stop creators dumping the platform in favor of one of the many Twitter alternatives that now exist.
A Major Win for Twitter Creators
The launch of the ad revenue sharing program is a major win for creators on Twitter, who have been calling on the platform to find a way to help them monetize their content for years. Now, Twitter says that creators can expect to earn “a few cents” per impression with the company's total first payout amounting to $5 million, cumulative from February.
As well as potentially helping to attract new creators, the move seems designed to help encourage existing ones to continue making content for the platform, as the fierce new Twitter vs Threads rivalry shows no signs of going away.
Moreover, by showing support for its top creators and incentivizing them to make more and better content, Twitter will no doubt be hoping to spur on increased engagement across its entire user base.
How Much Do Twitter Creators Earn?
Good question. A Forbes report highlighted that one of the platform’s most-followed accounts, Internet hall of fame (@InternetH0F), enjoyed a whopping payout of $107,274. Elsewhere, writer Brian Krassenstein, who has about 750,000 followers, claims that Twitter paid him $24,305. On the lower end of the scale, a creator with about 230,000 followers claims to have earned $2,236.
Of course, there are some potential downsides to the program. For example, some creators may worry that the ads will clutter up their replies and make it harder for them to engage with their audience. Additionally, the program is only available to verified creators, which means that smaller creators may not be able to benefit from it.
However, the launch of the ad revenue sharing program is a generally being received as positive step for Twitter during a challenging time headlined by billionaire owner Elon Musk stepping aside as Twitter CEO, with former NBCUniversal ads boss Linda Yaccarino taking the reins.
Most Divisive Content Paying Dividends?
However, some Twitter creators have voiced concern that the most engaging tweets are those that divide opinion and attract extreme views.
As Farzad Mesbahi tweeted: “The more haters you have in your replies the more money you’ll make on Twitter.” To which tech tycoon Elon Musk casually rebutted: “Poetic justice.”
Another concern is that as 5 million monthly impressions is such a high bar to reach, Twitter creators will be pushed to further sensationalize their content. “Will this turn into ‘click bait headlines' but in the form of tweets?” asks Emmet Peppers, who holds a blue tick and describes themselves as an investor.
Only time will tell, but for big name Twitter creators with the necessary reach, today is undoubtedly a good day.
