Elon Musk’s disdain for traditional PR and marketing teams is well-known, and this is evident in the lack of such teams at his companies. While this may save money and Musk himself generates ample press coverage, it could be argued that an official communications team at X (formerly Twitter) could have helped avoid the confusion surrounding some of the data points being shared. The recent data points shared by X do not necessarily reflect the platform’s actual performance upon closer inspection.
X claims to be the platform for content creators to express themselves without censorship and has paid out over $45 million to more than 150,000 creators since the introduction of its ad revenue share program. On the surface, this seems like a substantial sum and a great opportunity for users. However, a deeper analysis of the data suggests a different story.
Looking at the timeline of payouts, X announced a $5 million initial payout back in June, with a total of $20 million paid out to creators by September. This indicates an average monthly payout of around $5 million. Fast forward six months, and based on these averages, X should have paid out an additional $30 million, bringing the total to $50 million. However, X states that the total is $5 million less than that. This discrepancy raises questions about the program’s growth and sustainability.
Ideally, as more users sign up for the program, payouts should increase to reflect more opportunity and growth within the platform. However, the stagnant payout amounts suggest a possible decline in either participation or advertiser spend. With X’s aim to attract more creators, the total payouts should be on an upward trajectory. The current data points do not align with this growth narrative.
An official communications team could have provided clarity on these data points and preemptively addressed any discrepancies. While X has positive data to share and has outperformed expectations with a leaner staff, random numbers like these do not accurately reflect its success. An official comms team could have presented a clearer picture of X’s achievements and addressed any potential misunderstandings.
The data points shared by X may not paint an accurate picture of the platform’s performance and growth. While Musk’s aversion to traditional PR and marketing teams is well-known, the presence of an official communications team at X could have potentially mitigated the confusion surrounding the data points. Moving forward, it will be interesting to see how X addresses these issues and whether the platform’s unique approach will ultimately lead to success.