Monetising Twitter (now called X) has become a major focus under its new ownership. There are several strategies, depending on whether you are an individual creator, a business, or someone looking to leverage the platform for indirect revenue.
Here is a comprehensive guide on how to monetise Twitter.
🟦 Part 1: For Individual Creators & Influencers
This is the most common path for individuals to earn money directly from their presence.
1. X’s Native Monetization Programs (The Direct Way)
To be eligible for most of these, you generally need to be verified (have an X Premium subscription) and meet specific follower and impression thresholds.
- Ads Revenue Sharing: X shares a portion of the ad revenue generated from ads shown in the replies to your posts. This is one of the most direct ways to earn.
- Requirements: ~15M impressions in the last 3 months, a Stripe account, and X Premium.
- Creator Subscriptions: Your followers can pay you a monthly subscription for exclusive content. You can set up multiple tiers (e.g., $3, $5, $10 per month).
- What to offer subscribers: Premium tweets (Subscriber Spaces), newsletters, exclusive media, a badge next to their name.
- Grok (AI Assistant Revenue Share): If you are a verified creator and have interesting conversations with Grok (X’s AI), you can get a share of the revenue generated by highly-engaged Grok-related posts.
2. Affiliate Marketing & Promoted Posts
This is the classic “influencer” model, now supercharged on X.
- Affiliate Links: Share links to products you genuinely use and recommend. You get a commission on every sale made through your unique link (using platforms like Amazon Associates, ShareASale, etc.).
- Sponsored Tweets: Brands pay you to post about their product or service. Your rate depends on your niche, audience size, and engagement.
- How to start: Build a strong personal brand in a specific niche (e.g., tech, finance, marketing, fitness). Then, you can join influencer marketplaces or wait for brands to approach you.
3. Leverage Your Audience for Your Own Products/Services
Use Twitter as a top-of-funnel to attract customers to your own offerings.
- Sell Digital Products: Create and sell e-books, guides, cheat sheets, or Notion templates related to your expertise. A simple link in your bio (like a Linktree) can lead to your Gumroad or Shopify store.
- Offer Coaching or Consulting: Position yourself as an expert. Use your Twitter content to demonstrate your knowledge, and then offer paid 1-on-1 sessions or group coaching.
- Promote Your Business: If you have a SaaS, agency, or freelance business, your Twitter audience is your potential client base. Provide immense value for free, and the clients will come to you.
🏢 Part 2: For Businesses & Brands
Businesses use Twitter primarily for marketing, but it can be a direct revenue channel.
1. X for Business Tools
- X Shopping: Set up a shop profile and showcase your products directly on your X page. Users can browse and purchase without leaving the app.
- Lead Generation Ads: Run targeted ads with a lead gen form that pre-fills with a user’s X data, making it easy to capture high-quality leads for your business.
- Website & App Conversion Ads: Drive traffic to your website or app with the specific goal of generating sales, sign-ups, or downloads.
2. Community Building & Customer Service
- Build a Loyal Community: Engage directly with your customers, answer questions, and get real-time feedback. A strong community leads to brand loyalty and repeat purchases.
- Customer Support: Using X as a responsive and public customer service channel can improve customer satisfaction and reduce churn.
🔗 Part 3: Indirect & Advanced Strategies
These methods involve using Twitter as a tool to enable other money-making activities.
1. Build an Audience for a Newsletter
This is a very powerful combo.
- Strategy: Post key insights and threads on Twitter to attract followers. Then, promote your newsletter (on platforms like Substack, Beehiiv, or Ghost) where you provide deeper dives.
- Monetisation: Once you have a sizable newsletter list, you can charge subscriptions or sell sponsorships.
2. Networking & Deal Flow
This is huge in industries like tech, finance, and venture capital.
- Strategy: Engage with other experts, founders, and investors. Share your unique insights.
- Monetisation: Find co-founders, get job offers, attract investors for your startup, or discover early-stage investment opportunities that aren’t public yet.
3. Paid Communities (e.g., Circle, Discord)
Use Twitter to drive sign-ups to your exclusive, paid community where members can network and access exclusive content.
🚀 The Foundational Strategy: How to Start
Regardless of the method you choose, your success depends on a strong foundation.
- Niche Down: You can’t be for everyone. Be the go-to person for AI in marketing, personal finance for millennials, or productivity for developers.
- Provide Consistent Value: Don’t just post random thoughts. Educate, entertain, or inspire your audience. Create threads, share stories, and engage in conversations.
- Be Authentic: People connect with people. Show your personality, your failures, and your process. Authenticity builds trust, and trust is the currency of monetisation.
- Engage, Don’t Just Broadcast: Reply to comments, ask questions, and join Spaces. Build relationships, not just a follower count.
- Understand the Algorithm: Post regularly, use relevant hashtags and keywords, and create content that encourages replies and engagement (which boosts visibility).
⚠️ Important Considerations
- It’s Not a Get-Rich-Quick Scheme: Building an audience that trusts you enough to pay you takes time and consistent effort.
- Diversify Your Income: Don’t rely on just one monetisation stream. Combine ad revenue with affiliate marketing and your own products.
- Compliance: Always disclose sponsored posts (#ad) and be aware of the tax implications of your income.
Start by building your audience and authority. The monetisation opportunities will follow.
