At the end of July 2023, Twitter became X. There was a new name and a new logo. The advertising platform carried on as before, so you can still run campaigns there.
Even so, many brands are wondering whether they should still be on it. The platform is changing quickly and the news coverage is mixed. In this article we take a sober look at what this means for you as an advertiser. No panic and no hype, just questions you can answer with your own figures.
What has actually changed?
The name is the most visible part. Beneath it, more has changed. The platform has had a new owner since late 2022. Since then there have been changes to policy, to the way posts are displayed and to paid features, such as account verification.
Two questions matter for advertisers. Who is still on the platform? And which posts will your ad appear next to?
Plenty of figures are being shared on the first question, but they are often estimates or snapshots. Meta’s new platform Threads, which launched in July, is also causing unease. It is too early to say what that means for X. So do not build your plans on rumours.
Build them on what you can measure yourself.
Start with your own figures
Has X delivered enquiries or sales over the past few months? Then there is no reason to stop straight away. If most of your traffic was already coming from other channels, you lose little by shifting budget.
Pull out the data for the past six to twelve months. Look at these points:
- Number of results: how many enquiries, purchases or sign-ups came in via X?
- Cost per result: what did you pay on average for one enquiry or sale? This is also known as CPA, or cost per acquisition.
- Quality: did the enquiries from X actually turn into customers? Or did it stop at casual clicks?
- Role in the customer journey: did people see you on X first and buy later through another channel?
- Trend: are your costs per click or per result rising, or are they stable?
The fourth point is often forgotten. X can play a part at the start of the customer journey, while the sale is only recorded later via Google or email. This is called attribution: the question of which channel deserves which share of the result.
That is why you should use tags in your links, known as UTM parameters. They let you see in your analytics tool exactly where visitors came from. Without proper tracking, you are making a decision on gut feeling.
Pay attention to where your ad appears
Brand safety is a legitimate concern. It is the question of whether your ad appears next to content that does not fit your brand. On a platform where the rules change often, you will want to keep an eye on this.
You do not need to be afraid, but you do need to be alert. Here is what you can do:
- Regularly check where your ads appear and which posts sit next to them.
- Use the exclusions that are available. These are settings that let you block certain words, topics or accounts.
- Decide in advance what is unacceptable to you. That way you do not have to hesitate if it happens.
- Agree with your team who monitors placements and who decides to pause.
Brand safety is also a brand choice. The bar is set differently for a healthcare organisation or a bank than for a webshop selling hobby supplies. What suits you is for you to decide. There is no universal right or wrong.
Also consider what your own customers and employees think about it. Brands that choose to stay sometimes explain their decision. That prevents questions later on.
Test with limited risk
A decision does not have to be all or nothing. You can also reduce your budget and see what happens. That keeps the learning curve in your own hands.
Imagine you manage marketing for a company that sells business software. There has been a small monthly budget on X for years. You look at the figures and see that most demo requests come from Google Ads and LinkedIn. X delivers plenty of clicks but few enquiries. The enquiries it does bring in rarely lead to a customer.
You decide to cut the budget substantially and move the difference to search campaigns that are performing well. On X, you run a small test with a new message and a clearly defined audience. After a few weeks, you review it again. If the test delivers little, you stop without regret. If it does better than expected, you give X a little more room again.
Here is how to set up a test like that:
- Choose one clear goal, for example enquiries or sign-ups for an email newsletter.
- Set a fixed test budget that you can afford to lose.
- Make sure tracking works before you start.
- Let the test run for at least four weeks, so the platform can learn.
- Compare the cost per result with your other channels.
- Decide in advance at which result you will continue, adjust or stop.
That last point is the most important. If you set the threshold in advance, you are less likely to draw the wrong conclusion afterwards.
Spread your presence
Do not build all of your reach on a single platform that you do not control. This applies not only to X. Any social media platform can change its rules, its algorithm or its prices. Your followers and your reach sit there on borrowed land.
Your own email list and a strong website remain yours. There, you set the rules. Use social media to attract attention and use your own channels to hold on to it.
If one channel delivers the bulk of your enquiries or revenue, that is a risk. A good rule of thumb is to work with several channels that complement one another. Think of search engines, a second social media platform and email. That way, if something goes wrong, you do not lose your entire reach at once.
A few practical steps can help:
- Invite followers to subscribe to your newsletter.
- Make sure your website is easy to find on Google.
- Keep your best content on your own site as well.
- Keep a second channel warm, even if it is still small for now.
Frequently asked questions
Should I delete my account?
No, that is usually not necessary. Keeping an account costs little and prevents someone else from using your brand name. You can safely leave the account in place and assess your advertising budget separately.
Does advertising on X still work the same way as on Twitter?
The advertising platform carries on and the basics are similar. However, options, rules and features may change. Check in your account which audiences and ad formats you can use, and test whether your tracking still works properly.
How much budget should I put into a test?
That depends on your total budget. As a rule of thumb, a test takes up roughly a tenth to a fifth of your social budget. The aim is an amount that gives you enough data without hurting if it delivers nothing.
Book a free 30-minute introductory call
Are you unsure whether X still belongs in your marketing mix? At Adventio Marketing, we are happy to review it with you. We will go through your current figures, your tracking and your channels. That way you will know where you stand and which choice fits your goals.
Book a free 30-minute introductory call. You will receive honest advice, with no obligations. Get in touch via the website and choose a time that suits you.
