People create lots of stuff on Twitter - from jokes to in-depth analytical threads. However, all these years on, there remains no real way to monetise all the hours we spend posting and scrolling on the platform. Have you ever signed up for a Super Follow?! (Did you even know such a feature exists?)
This is all in stark contrast to other platforms popular with creators. YouTube managed to find a way to support creators posting on YouTube Shorts, even though its model does not work for traditional pre-roll, post-roll and mid-roll ads. TikTok has issues. Its approach of having a set budget for a creator fund means that as the pool of creators grows, the amount any individual can make is reduced. However, popular users can still make money. Twitter is the outlier. It remains more of an advertising channel, with people using it to guide their followers to other places where they can make money directly.
Simon Owens wrote a fascinating Substack newsletter about this subject and he joins host Charlotte Henry to discuss the issues, what changes could be made to improve things for creators on Twitter, and whether Elon Musk’s plans for the company will deal with any of this. [The discussion with Catherine Perloff was about Netflix advertising.]
Twitter has never understood the Creator Economy - Simons Owens
Simon Owens on Twitter
Charlotte Henry on Twitter
Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Why Twitter Failed in The Creator Economy