Elon Musk, the owner of X, has recently announced a new approach to boost X subscriptions by giving away Premium features to users with high follower counts on the app. Users with over 2,500 verified subscriber followers will now receive X Premium for free, while those with over 5,000 blue tick accounts in their audience will get X Premium+ for free.
Musk’s decision to offer Premium features for free to users with a large following stems from his belief that it will encourage more people to pay for X subscriptions. By showcasing other users with a checkmark, Musk hopes to create a sense of exclusivity and value around Premium features. Additionally, Musk’s recent announcement that Grok, an AI chatbot, will be available to all X Premium users, is another strategy to drive up interest and ultimately revenue for the app.
The reintroduction of blue checkmarks for high profile users who meet certain follower criteria could potentially make the checkmarks relevant again. Initially, X had removed checkmarks from some users, only to later reinstate them after realizing the importance of maintaining the exclusivity and perceived value of the marker.
The Lackluster Performance of X Premium
Despite Musk’s efforts to boost X Premium subscriptions, the app currently has fewer than a million subscribers out of a total user base of 550 million. The addition of Grok, X Corp’s AI chatbot, has also failed to generate significant interest among users. Musk’s creation of xAI, X Corp’s AI arm, was a response to being rejected by OpenAI. However, the investment in GPUs to power the chatbot has yet to translate into increased subscription numbers for the app.
Moving forward, X will need to focus on selling more subscriptions to generate revenue and increase its user base. While making Premium features available to users with a large following may boost usage and interest in the app, it remains to be seen whether non-Premium users will be swayed by the add-on elements offered.
Elon Musk’s latest strategy to offer Premium features to users with high follower counts on X is aimed at increasing subscription uptake and revenue for the app. By leveraging the popularity of high profile users and introducing AI features like Grok, Musk hopes to create a more compelling value proposition for X Premium. However, the challenge remains in convincing a broader user base to invest in X subscriptions and make the add-on features relevant and desirable.