LONDON: Twitter announced on Thursday that it will start sharing some of its advertising revenue with content creators on the platform. The move, which experts expect to be a major shakeup in the influencer monetization model, is part of Twitter’s efforts to attract and retain more creators.

“Surprise! Today we launched our Creator Ads Revenue Sharing program,” the company said.

“This means that creators can get a share in ad revenue, starting in the replies to their posts. This is part of our effort to help people earn a living directly on Twitter.”

Under the new program, creators who meet certain eligibility criteria will be able to share in the revenue generated from ads that are displayed in the replies to their tweets. To be eligible, creators must have at least 5 million impressions on their tweets in each of the last three months, and they must be verified by Twitter.

Surprise! Today we launched our Creator Ads Revenue Sharing program.

We’re expanding our creator monetization offering to include ads revenue sharing for creators. This means that creators can get a share in ad revenue, starting in the replies to their posts. This is part of our…

— Twitter (@Twitter) July 13, 2023

While the news was met with enthusiasm by content creators on the platform, many pointed out that Twitter has yet to address some questions regarding the new program.

For example, the amount of revenue that creators will receive will depend on several factors, including the number of impressions their tweets receive, the type of ads that are displayed, and the overall performance of the Twitter advertising platform.

Additionally, some experts have noted that while the new model emphasizes connecting creators and their followers directly, it also means that Twitter will begin serving ads in replies. This could lead to the platform becoming cluttered with sponsored content and could also invite even more reply spam.

Nonetheless, Twitter’s decision to share ad revenue with creators remains a significant move, and it could have a major impact on the way influencers generate earnings on the platform.

Twitter has long been criticized for not paying creators for ad views and engagement, unlike other major social media platforms like Meta, TikTok, and YouTube. These platforms all offer some kind of ad revenue share monetization program for creators, which allows them to earn money based on the number of ad views and engagements their content generates.

In the past, Twitter’s influencers have typically relied on sponsorships, product placement, and donations to generate revenue. However, the new program could provide them with a more reliable and consistent source of income.

Since Elon Musk’s acquisition, Twitter has struggled to retain users and advertisers who flocked from the platform following the Tesla CEO’s controversial decisions.

In a sign of a shifting social media landscape, last week Meta launched Threads, a Twitter-like competitor that Musk has called a “clone” of his platform.

Twitter’s new Creator Ads Revenue Sharing program is seen by experts as a response to Zuckerberg’s new platform and a way to compete with other social media sites and lure advertisers back to the platform.