X vs. the World: How to Monetize Ex-Twitter in 2025

Written December 20, 2024 by

John Paul

Monetizing on X (former Twitter) is a game changer for content creators, influencers, and even everyday users who have a unique voice or loyal followers. X isn’t just a place to share thoughts, news, or jokes freely — now it is a platform where people can actually earn money. This shift represents a new chapter for social media, where the value of content goes beyond just likes, retweets, or followers. Now, X is giving people tools to turn those engagements into income, whether through subscriptions, tips, or paid spaces.

In this article, the HilltopAds team explores different ways to make money on X, what these options mean for creators and brands, and how they’re shaping the future of social media. If you’re curious about how you might use X not just to post but to profit, this is your guide to getting started. Let’s dive in and see how X is making it possible for people to turn tweets into real income.

X Marks eXtra Income

For years, X has been known for its quick and concise way of delivering people’s thoughts, ideas, or opinions. Unlike other social media, it feels like a place where people can share their content and connect with others without too many restrictions. That makes X perfect for monetization, as it offers authentic, real-time interactions that build the strongest connections with followers.

Now, with new monetization options, creators can make a living just by doing what they’re already good at — whether it’s sharing insights, sparking conversations, or even making people laugh.

The Principles of X Monetization

If you’re looking to make money on X, there are two main ways to do it: subscriptions and ad revenue sharing. These are X’s official ways of letting creators and businesses earn income directly from the platform, but you’ll need an X Premium account or a Verified Organizations account to unlock them.

Affiliate Marketing with HilltopAds

Monetizing Twitter with affiliate marketing is one of the smartest ways to turn your audience’s attention into a steady income. HilltopAds stands out when it comes to using Twitter traffic for affiliate marketing, thanks to a bunch of handy features.

Direct Links

HilltopAds’ Direct Links are essentially ad-powered URLs that affiliates can embed in tweets or profiles. These links guide users directly to high-converting offers or landing pages, making it incredibly easy to monetize engagement on X. No need for websites or complicated setups — just resonating content and the right audience.

Tangible results from professional partners.

Our direct links help marketers make $3,000 weekly on X. Thanks to precise targeting, dynamic offer rotation, exceptional user engagement on X, a bit of viral marketing, and our expertise, the publisher managed to multiply their original income by 150 times! HilltopAds enables you to succeed similarly whether you’re a publisher or affiliate.

Support

Beyond just tools, HilltopAds provides hands-on support. HilltopAds team helps affiliates craft strategies that comply with Twitter’s rules while boosting profitability. A free pro tip for the best partners: combine Direct Links with pre-landing pages to streamline clicks and improve engagement.

Twitter’s fast-paced, interactive environment is perfect for affiliate marketing. Paired with HilltopAds’ intuitive tools and support, it’s a recipe for success. Whether you’re an experienced affiliate or just getting started, our platform is designed to unleash your productivity and profitability.

Start monetizing your X today with HilltopAds, and see how our Direct Links can turn your social reach into real money.

Subscriptions

One of the most popular ways to earn money on X is through subscriptions. This lets you charge your followers a monthly fee in exchange for perks like early access or exclusive content.

Subscriptions (formerly Super Follows)

With Subscriptions, you can offer exclusive tweets, behind-the-scenes content, or even personalized shout-outs to people who pay a monthly fee. It’s a great way to build a more engaged and loyal community that values your unique insights or entertainment.

Ticketed Spaces

If you enjoy hosting live streams with chats, X also lets you create Ticketed Spaces, where people can pay to attend live discussions, interviews, or Q&A sessions. Whether you’re streaming informative content or just having a casual chat with your followers, this feature allows you to monetize your live content in real time.

Twitter Blue

It is a premium subscription service designed to have an overall better experience with X. With Twitter Blue, users get perks that make interactions more seamless while boosting account security and reducing ad cluttering. The goal behind Twitter Blue is to create a safer, more engaging platform that holds back spammy or untrustworthy accounts. It’s geared toward users who want to enrich their interactions and visibility on the platform while enjoying a smoother browsing experience.

Ad Revenue Sharing

Another way to earn on X is through ad revenue sharing, which is available for creators with a verified account. This works by showing ads alongside your content, and you get a cut of the revenue generated from those ads.

Eligibility

To get started with ad revenue sharing, you need to be a verified creator. Once you meet the eligibility criteria, ads will appear alongside your tweets or videos. If your content gets lots of views and engagement, the ads generate revenue — and you earn a share of that.

Content

While video content tends to attract more ad revenue, X can also show ads in addition to your tweets or other types of posts if they’re engaging enough. The more interactions (likes, retweets, replies) your content gets, the more money you can make from ads.

The best thing about ad revenue sharing is that it doesn’t require additional work, as people interact with your already existing content. It’s a way to get paid for the work you’re already doing — creating content that resonates with your audience.

Additional Ways to Monetize

Beyond subscriptions and ads, there are a few other ways to make money on X:

Tips

X has a built-in Tip Jar feature, allowing your followers to send you one-time tips if they enjoy your content. Think of it as a virtual “thank you” for the content you provide, and it’s a simple way for followers to support you financially.

Sponsored tweets

If you have a large and engaged base of followers, you might be approached by brands to promote their products or services in your content. This is a form of sponsored content, where brands pay you to feature their products in a post. It’s a win-win situation: you get paid, and the brand gets attention.

Digital collectibles and NFTs

X is experimenting with NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and digital collectibles, which let you sell unique, tokenized content to your followers. This could be anything from artwork to exclusive videos. If you’re into the crypto world, this could be a cool way to tap into the growing market for digital ownership.

Amplify

If you’re creating video content on X, Amplify Pre-Roll and Sponsorships are ad options that could work well for you. Amplify Pre-Roll are ads shown before your videos, similar to in-stream ads on other social media platforms, where you get to choose ad content based on tags relevant to your video. Amplify Sponsorships operate almost the same way, but only with a single advertiser.

Extra For Businesses and Verified Organizations

For those of you who run a business or an organization, there are additional ways to monetize on X. Verified organizations can use promoted tweets to reach a broader audience, track engagement via analytics, and run ads with their services or products.

Businesses can also engage with customers directly through sponsored content, special offers, and other promotions that help them drive traffic or sales from their Twitter presence.

Setting Up X Account for Monetization

X introduced monetization features as early as 2023, opening up revenue-sharing and subscription options for creators. Here is how to get your account set up for monetization in 2024:

Meet the criteria

X sets certain follower, engagement, and location requirements — check if you qualify.

Pick monetization tools

Choose options like Super Follows (for subscriber-only content) or Tips (one-time contributions from followers).

Link payment method

Add your payment details in Settings > Monetization > Payment Info.

Create content

Offer exclusive, high-quality content that your followers will want to support.

Track engagement

Use Twitter Analytics to understand what works best, refining your content for engagement and growth.

Once you meet all the requirements, you can enable monetization on X and start earning from your content. Keep in mind that even after qualifying, your Premium status could be paused if you fall below certain metrics, like follower count or engagement levels, over time.

KPIs in X’s Revenue Analysis

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are crucial for understanding the financial aspect and growth potential of your X account. These metrics help evaluate user engagement, monetization efforts, and overall profitability.

Monthly Active Users (MAU) and Engagement Rates

MAU measures the number of unique users who engage with the platform at least once a month. For context, X reported 368 million MAUs in 2022, highlighting its large user base. A large and active user base is attractive for advertisers looking to reach a wide audience. More MAUs typically correlate with better opportunities for ad spend and brand awareness.Engagement rates. This metric shows how often users interact with content. The higher the engagement, the more advertisers will be willing to invest in ads, making it a key component in monetization strategies.

Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) Trends

ARPU reflects how well X is monetizing its user base. This number indicates the average revenue generated from each active user within a set period. A high ARPU suggests that X is doing a good job of earning money from its users through ads, subscriptions, and other services.

Trends in ARPU. X’s goal is to maintain or increase ARPU, which is especially important as it diversifies revenue streams (like the introduction of Twitter Blue subscriptions) and seeks sustainable growth.

Cost of Revenue: Tracking Profit Margins

Cost of Revenue includes all the expenses X faces to maintain its platform, such as server upkeep, content moderation, data processing, and employee costs. The revenue cost covers operational expenses like infrastructure maintenance, content moderation, and the licensing of data for third-party companies.

Keeping the cost of revenue under control is essential for improving profit margins. If costs rise faster than revenue, profit margins decrease, which can hurt X’s financial performance.

These key metrics are essential for understanding how well X is performing in terms of user engagement, monetization, and profitability.

4 Tips to Get More Users To Subscribe to Your X

There is no secret that the more followers you have, the better income you get. That’s why it is so important to always work on boosting the numbers of your loyal followers on every platform you monetize. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to encourage more users to subscribe to your X account:

Highlight Subscriber Benefits

Make sure potential subscribers know why your subscription is worth it. You can use a pinned post on your profile to lay out the most interesting and engaging content, as well as the experience they’ll gain access to as subscribers. Think of it as your chance to sell the benefits and stand out from the rest of the creators.

Offer a Unique Subscriber Experience

Subscribers are looking for something special that goes beyond what you offer to your general audience. Use X features like subscriber-only Spaces for live Q&As, exclusive content, or polls to get subscribers involved in your creative process. Inviting them into the process of making your content allows them to feel connected to you in a unique way.

Stay Consistent

The piece of advice you get practically everywhere, but there is no way around it — consistency usually beats talent. Consistency is essential to attract and retain subscribers. Regularly post high-quality, exclusive content that’s only accessible to subscribers.

Listen and Adapt to Subscriber Feedback

Your subscribers’ feedback is valuable, both for retaining current subscribers and attracting new ones. Listen closely to what they want and stay responsive, adjusting your content to better meet their needs. By engaging thoughtfully, you show that you value their input and make them feel part of your growth

Following these simple, yet working strategies can help you build a community that’s engaged and willing to support your work.

Closing Words

Earning money on X/Twitter can seem challenging initially, but it’s not impossible, and it could even become a significant income source. There are various effective ways to make money from your followers without overwhelming them with ads. And while some strategies do require third-party tools, there’s nothing to worry about because we’re here to help.

Partnering with HilltopAds opens the door to a supportive network of thousands of creators already making money by sharing their digital content. HilltopAds provides access to useful tools, personal manager support, and a platform designed specifically to help you promote and monetize your content even better.

If you’re ready to start earning on X/Twitter with HilltopAds, getting started is simple — join us now and begin turning your tweets into money!

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