X will soon allow advertisers to run ads alongside specific content creators

X, formerly known as Twitter, has unveiled a new feature allowing advertisers to run ads alongside “a curated list of premium content creators”. 

The new feature, named Creator Targeting, permits advertisers to curate a list of premium content creators, giving them the flexibility to run pre-roll video ads against the chosen creator’s content in both the home timeline and profile. 

X is also planning to introduce a feature enabling brands to exclusively serve ads on an individual creator’s profile, mitigating the risk of advertisements appearing next to undesirable or controversial posts.

Since Elon Musk acquired X in October 2022, advertisers have been apprehensive about their ads on the platform, especially amid relaxed content moderation policies. Recent incidents, including Musk amplifying antisemitic conspiracy theories, led prominent companies like Apple and Disney to suspend their ad spending on X. Musk’s confrontational response further strained relations, prompting X to seek support from small and medium-sized advertisers.

The announcement, made by X, seems to be a strategic effort to entice advertisers back to the platform, given the substantial decline in advertising revenue since Musk assumed control. X reported a 50% plunge in advertising revenue last year, reaching approximately $2.5 billion, falling short of the $3 billion target. Quarterly revenue also saw a significant drop from $1 billion in 2022 to around $600 million in 2023.

Notably, this move might also be a strategic effort by X to attract creators to its platform and compete with YouTube, a recent focal point for the company. Since launching its ad revenue-sharing program in July, X has seen over 80,000 creators share their content on the platform, indicating a growing interest in the creator community.

Elon Musk’s outreach to prominent creators, such as the request to popular YouTube creator MrBeast to post content on X, demonstrates a concerted effort to strengthen the platform’s creator base. MrBeast’s revelation of earning $263,000 in ad revenue from his first X video suggests potential profitability for creators on the platform, although there are reservations about the accuracy of these figures.

In September, X CEO Linda Yaccarino disclosed that the platform paid out nearly $20 million to creators, underscoring X’s commitment to building a vibrant and lucrative ecosystem for content creators. As X navigates the evolving landscape of online interactions, these initiatives signal a strategic approach to regain advertiser confidence, nurture creator partnerships, and reclaim its foothold in the competitive social media space.