Creators remain wary of hosting content on X

• X is working to get more creators hosted on its platform through its ad revenue program.
• However, according to WSJ, one survey found that only 5% of creators want to use X as their main platform.
• Some creators are concerned about X’s advertising business and unpredictability of payments, WSJ reported.

Some creators remain reluctant to host content on X even after more than a year under Elon Musk’s stewardship, citing the platform’s ability to attract advertisers and the unpredictability of ad revenue payments. The Wall Street Journal reported that people remain reluctant to do so, citing concerns about sexuality.

Since Musk bought Twitter in 2022, the new owner has been trying to lure more content creators to the newly rebranded Platform X through an ad-sharing program that places ads within replies to posts. .

Popular YouTuber MrBeast is a well-known creator who recently put the site’s advertising program to the test after expressing concerns that Company X wasn’t paying him enough, receiving more than $250,000 for a single video. Still, X users were convinced that Musk had rigged the results. The YouTuber also said his compensation was “a bit of a sham” and that his income was likely higher than many people experience.

Musk appears to deny accusations that he put his thumb on the Mr. Beast scale. In any case, some creators are reluctant to post content on X, in part because of the platform’s tenuous relationship with major advertisers and the unpredictability of payments. The magazine reported that this was the case.

Since Musk took over, many major advertisers have pulled out of the X platform over concerns about brand safety, lax content moderation, and even Musk’s own posts. According to Insider Intelligence, X’s advertising revenue in 2023 is estimated at approximately $1.89 billion, a 54% decrease from 2022.

But as Musk acknowledged last year, the leak could be a problem for content creators who expect to get paid big bucks for their posts.

“X is not exactly a stable or reliable platform,” Emarketer analyst Jasmine Enberg told The Journal. She said: “Given the state of the company’s advertising business, it is unlikely that the company will be able to convince most creators that it can provide a sustainable source of income.”

missed payment

According to The Journal, a survey found that out of more than 450 creators, only 5% plan to use X as their main platform for hosting content in 2024.

The magazine reported that some creators have also recently complained about the unpredictability of ad revenue payments.

Chris Riley, one of the creators who makes about $20 every few weeks, told the Journal that his payments were suspended and reinstated twice in the last month.

“Until everything is resolved, I would not recommend signing up for Premium now and trying to share the ad revenue,” he told the newspaper.

In response to Business Insider’s investigation, Joe Benarroch, a spokesperson for the platform, pointed to two posts from X, including one in direct response to the Journal article.

“Launched just seven months ago, the X Creators Program is making great progress thanks to the dedication of our incredible team to the success of all creators,” Benarroch said in a Journal post. I wrote about X in reply to. “Critics always give biased opinions without first-hand experience or real insight into program development and planning. Take note!”

The official account for X’s creator program also touted some of the platform’s accomplishments since Musk’s acquisition.

“Prior to the Ads Rev Share program, creator payments did not exist on this platform,” the post said, adding that payments will be made every two weeks and that X plans to expand to video ads as well. .

Sameer Chaudhry, a podcaster who writes educational posts about the creator economy, said he has consulted with Musk to help make social media companies more attractive to creators, but X is an important daily platform, he told the Journal. But he said the site still lacks a clear business strategy.

“They have to start showing us the path to building a business on the platform,” he told the Journal.