Twitter—or, technically, X—is a social media platform where people discuss trending topics from pop culture to politics. And if you can get them to pay attention to what you want to say, you may be able to make some money.
If you work in ecommerce, you can use Twitter/X to communicate with your loyal followers. You can also use it to direct new customers to your ecommerce store and inspire new sales. If you’re not selling products, you can make money on Twitter as a content creator.
While there are many ways to use Twitter to generate revenue, the good news is they’re all intuitive and relatively easy to kickstart.
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How to get started making money on Twitter
- Create a professional Twitter profile
- Meet monetization eligibility
- Set up your account for payouts
- Post regularly
- Engage with your Twitter audience
Twitter monetization takes time and effort, but millions of people have done it successfully. As with all the other biggest social media platforms, Twitter's ad revenue flows to the accounts with the most followers and the most engaging content.
Here are the steps you’ll need to take in order to monetize Twitter:
1. Create a professional Twitter profile
You can register for a professional Twitter account for free. Make sure your account features a clear and engaging bio, a profile picture, and a header reflecting your brand identity. Include a link to your website.
2. Meet monetization eligibility
To access Twitter's monetization features, you typically need at least 500 followers and a subscription to X Premium (formerly Twitter Blue). If you want to start making money via ad revenue, the rates for X Premium start at just $3 per month.
3. Set up your account for payouts
Twitter uses the third-party payment service, Stripe, to issue payments. Enter your bank information to set up your Stripe account. Once you’re up and running, the platform will deposit payments automatically. Once eligible, activate the X Ads revenue-sharing program.
4. Post regularly
If you’re committed to making money on Twitter, your top job is to create engaging content that resonates with your audience. The key is choosing topics your user base is genuinely interested in. While you don’t have to post hourly, it’s wise to create content consistently, because the X algorithm values your total number of impressions.
5. Engage with your Twitter audience
Respond to comments, direct messages, and other interactions to amass a loyal following. As you build rapport with Twitter users, you can then leverage your Twitter presence to steer more traffic to your own website. Focus on beefing up your total number of followers, which may let you command a higher rate when you post sponsored tweets.
Strategies for businesses to make money on Twitter
- Post content consistently
- Leverage Twitter ads for marketing campaigns
- Utilize X Creator Revenue Sharing
- Drive website traffic with influencer marketing
- Add relevant hashtags to your posts
- Sell digital products or subscriptions
- Host exclusive events and giveaways
There are hundreds of millions of active users on the Twitter platform. What’s true of other social media platforms is also true for X: The more Twitter traffic you drive to your profile, the more chances you have to earn money.
Here are some proven strategies for monetizing Twitter:
Post content consistently
The monetization process starts with creating consistent content to build a killer Twitter profile. On a daily basis, post compelling tweets, threads, and media to showcase your products or services. Frequently provide direct links to your ecommerce site or product pages.
For example, your fitness brand could post before-and-after transformation photos on its Twitter account, which you can edit using the X Media Studio (formerly Twitter Media Studio). The posts can include links to your brand’s workout gear or supplements. You can also post educational Twitter content, such as how-to videos, to help your Twitter audience grow.
Leverage Twitter ads for marketing campaigns
Use X Ads to target specific demographics or interests on this popular social media platform. For instance, your online bookstore could run Twitter ads promoting a seasonal sale, directing users to your website.
Tailoring ad content to align with audience preferences in your Twitter marketing campaigns helps ensure higher engagement and conversion rates. Make sure the website URL in each ad directs users to a landing page optimized for conversions. It should be easy to buy products once a prospect is on your website.
Utilize X Creator Revenue Sharing
You can also earn ad revenue by participating in the X Creator Revenue Sharing Program.
To earn month revenue with the program you must:
- Subscribe to X Premium
- Have at least 500 Premium followers
- Create content that generates at least five million organic impressions over three months
You’ll receive a cut of the money from ads that display between your posts or in the replies. If you’re regularly posting valuable content and getting significant engagement, you can earn a modest income.
Drive website traffic with influencer marketing
Partner with influencers on Twitter to promote affiliate products through their established follower base. Also known as sponsored content, this approach helps you tap into highly engaged and relevant audiences.
For example, your skin care brand could collaborate with beauty influencers who try your products and share their impressions. You can also encourage content creators to post about your products by offering affiliate links, where they earn commissions for every referred sale. Note that they may post these links on other social media accounts beyond Twitter.
Promoting affiliate products is another option. You can post an affiliate link for someone else’s product and both get a cut that way. This works in the inverse of the prior example, where brands use your Twitter account to reach a broader audience.
Add relevant hashtags to your posts
A relevant hashtag can help your posts show up in more feeds. Starting a phrase with a hashtag (#) turns it into an internal hyperlink, and the text becomes blue. When a user clicks on a hashtag, they’re taken to a search results page featuring all the other posts that use that same hashtag.
As a business owner, you can use trending hashtags to your advantage—they might make your account a stop on a user’s Twitter journey. Once they’re on your page, you’ll want them to engage with your brand, so you may want to pin some compelling content at the top of your feed.
Sell digital products or subscriptions
If your ecommerce business offers digital products—such as online courses, templates, or memberships—you can utilize Twitter’s monetization features like Subscriptions or Ticketed Spaces. These features allow you to sell tickets to live audio events on the platform.
For instance, your graphic design shop could sell exclusive design packs or host paid workshops. Your pottery studio could roll out ongoing video lessons in exchange for a monthly subscription fee. To fully monetize your feed, these digital products should feature exclusive content that cannot be accessed on any other online platforms.
Host exclusive events and giveaways
Use Twitter to promote events, such as product launches, flash sales, or virtual Q&A sessions. For example, your brand might run a giveaway campaign where participants retweet posts for a chance to win, generating buzz and increased visibility.
Events like live discussions can also create buzz, attract new followers, and drive traffic to your ecommerce store. Given the sense of exclusivity, this form of social media marketing may have better odds of breaking through with your intended audience.
How to make money on Twitter FAQ
How can I earn money from Twitter?
You can earn money from Twitter through the use of features like ad revenue sharing and Ticketed Spaces, which allows you to sell tickets to live audio events on the platform. You can also promote products, run affiliate marketing campaigns, and use Twitter to steer traffic to your ecommerce store.
How many followers on Twitter do you need to make money?
To make money on Twitter through ad revenue sharing, you need at least 500 followers. In addition, you’ll need a minimum of 15 million organic impressions on your posts over the past three months, along with an X Premium (formerly Twitter Blue) subscription.
How does Twitter pay?
Twitter pays its creators via a third-party service called Stripe.