Elon Musk, the new owner of X, has announced a new way for
some users to get free verification on the platform. In a recent tweet, Musk
stated that any account with over 2,500 followers who have paid for a
subscription to X will receive the X Premium features for free. Accounts with
over 5,000 subscribed followers will get X Premium+ for free.
This move seems aimed at incentivizing more people to
purchase an X subscription. As Musk works to generate more revenue from
subscriptions to offset the massive cost of acquiring X, finding new ways to
promote the subscription features is important.
By giving away checkmarks and premium access to accounts
with many subscribed followers, it draws more attention to the value of a blue
check and premium tools. This could motivate more regular users to purchase a
subscription for themselves.
Premium subscriptions are a key part of Musk's plan to
monetize X. When he took over the company, half of projected revenue was
expected to come from subscriptions. However, estimates show that X Premium
currently has less than 1 million subscribers out of X's 550 million total
users. Additional perks like access to Grok, X's AI assistant, also haven't led
to significant growth. More exposure to premium features through influential
accounts may help boost those numbers.
Grok was created by X's AI division, xAI, as a competitor to
other AI tools. However, it does not appear to be driving much interest in
subscriptions thus far. While giving more users access to Grok raises its
profile, it's unclear if an AI chatbot alone can turn the tide.
Most regular users likely won't care much about Grok or
other premium bells and whistles. But greater visibility of checkmarks and
premium status through popular accounts may make the VIP features seem more
appealing.
This strategy plays into the perceived value of a blue
checkmark. When Musk first took over, he removed verification from many
accounts, undermining the exclusivity of the badge. High profile accounts
quickly had their checks restored as it was realized this lessened the badge's
importance.
Now, verification simply means an account is paying to use a
free service rather than being notable. Getting more checks visible through
influential profiles can make them appear more prestigious again.
It remains to be seen if this new approach will have
significant impact. But for X to meet Musk's lofty subscription targets, new
tactics are needed. By leveraging accounts with many paying followers, premium
perks get more exposure organic reach.
For a company reliant on monetizing a free service, this
could help promote X's SMM panel and other tools better to the masses. With
more prominent display of what subscribers receive, perhaps greater numbers
will be convinced to purchase access. Only time will tell how effective this
strategy proves as X works to find the right balance.
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