X, a social media platform now owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is changing how it pays influencers and creators. The company will wind down its existing Revenue Sharing program and replace it with Original Content Rewards.
The Revenue Sharing program will stop accepting new participants, while existing ones will continue earning money through September 7. Then, starting on September 8, they can apply for the new program.
Qualifying for Original Content Rewards
Participants will still need to subscribe to one of X’s Premium tiers and meet qualifying thresholds for follower count and impressions.
X requires a minimum of 500 verified followers and 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users in 90 days.
The big change is the emphasis on originality. Original content can include original reporting and analysis, photos and videos created by the poster, or memes and graphics they’ve designed themselves.
Commentary also counts, but it must contribute meaningful original value to qualify under X’s guidelines.
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X provided examples of posts that won’t count as original, such as those copied from another account or reposted without meaningful transformation.
Background and Rationale
X has attempted to reform the Revenue Sharing program before, such as reducing payments to aggregators and clickbait accounts in April.
These efforts prompted complaints from popular accounts profiting from the current system.
According to the report, X’s Allegra Jacchia stated that the existing program had reached a point where its incentives were misaligned. Creators should be focused on bringing net new content to the platform instead of maximizing payouts, she said.
Jacchia added that X will continue to refine the program, improving its models and raising the bar over time.
The decision to start fresh and build a program designed to reward originality from the start is seen as a better approach than adding more rules and exceptions.
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Implementation and Next Steps
The Original Content Rewards program is set to launch on September 8, and existing Revenue Sharing participants will be able to apply for the new program.
For now, creators and influencers on the platform will need to review the new guidelines and requirements to determine if they qualify for the Original Content Rewards program.
The company’s decision to prioritize originality may lead to a more diverse range of content on the platform.
This change could be beneficial for users and creators alike.
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