Twitter (now called X) ads reach over 611 million active monthly users, providing a platform for advertisers to promote their products and services directly to their audience.
New AI-powered features are already boosting click-through rates by 10% and conversions by 16%, redefining how businesses connect with users in 2024.
And with 2025 just around the corner, the potential for growth is only getting stronger.
Curious about how to make the most out of these updates? Keep reading to learn more about the latest ad tools, best practices and how to launch your first X campaign.
Here’s what you’ll find:
• What Is Twitter Advertising?
• Are Twitter Ads Worth It?
• 7 Types of Twitter Ads
• How Much Do Twitter (X) Ads Cost?
• What Factors Affect Twitter (X) Advertising Costs?
• Setting Twitter (X) Budgets
• How To Post on Twitter: X Ad Targeting Options
• How To Advertise on Twitter (X)
• Twitter Advertising Tips and Best Practices: How To Post on Twitter (X) the Right Way
• Twitter (X) Advertising FAQs
What Is Twitter Advertising?
Twitter advertising, now called X advertising, is a marketing strategy that allows businesses to promote their products or services on Twitter (X).
X ads operate on a pay-for-performance model. Advertisers are charged only when their campaigns achieve specific objectives, such as clicks, engagements or conversions, rather than paying for impressions or views that don’t lead to interaction.
Are Twitter Ads Worth it?
The big question: Are Twitter ads worth it? Or are your advertising dollars better spent elsewhere?
Twitter (X) users spend an average of 30 minutes on the platform daily. From a marketing perspective, that’s ample time to engage potential customers and boost your Twitter ad revenue.
X is also great for generating buzz around brands because it encourages real-time conversations and interactions.
“The best benefit to X ads is creating talkability and differentiating your advertising placements from your competitors,” said Tlou Ramphele, a social media strategist at Thrive.
Other benefits of Twitter (X) ads include:
Demographic Targeting Options
X connects you with users who match your ideal customer profile. The platform provides various demographic targeting options, including:
| • Interests • Followers • Tweet engager • Language • Gender • Device • Tailored audiences | • Events • TV • Keywords • Geography • Conversations • Behaviors |
To improve your targeting, an X marketing agency can also help you conduct keyword research to identify seed keywords (broad terms) for your campaign.
These foundational keywords will help you understand what your audience is searching for and provide a basis for discovering more specific terms.
Once you’ve refined your list, add those targeted keywords to your X marketing campaign to ensure your ads reach the right audience at the right time.
Tailored Audiences
One of the most powerful features of X advertising is Tailored Audiences, which allows you to target specific groups of people based on their interactions and behaviors on the platform. Unlike traditional targeting methods, you don’t need email addresses or personal information to reach these audiences.
Here’s how it works:
• Target Followers of Influencers or Niche Accounts: Reach users who follow influencers or brands relevant to your industry. For instance, a fitness brand can target followers of popular fitness influencers or companies, ensuring an audience already interested in the niche.
• Upload Customer Data: Upload customer emails, phone numbers or user IDs. X matches this data to platform users, ensuring your ads are shown to those familiar with your brand.
• Expand With Lookalike Audiences: Create lookalike audiences based on your tailored audience to reach users with similar interests or behaviors.
Cost-Effective Advertising
Many companies report high return on investment (ROI) from X ad campaigns. A WordFX study found that 60% of businesses believe X ads are worth the investment. On average, X advertising costs between $0.26 and $0.50 per first action and $1.01 to $2 per follow for promoted accounts.
AI-Powered Optimized Targeting
X’s latest AI-powered optimized targeting feature is automatically enabled for sales campaigns. This feature allows algorithms to expand beyond your set audience when there is potential to improve ROI.
Beta testing showed an average 10% increase in click-through and 16% conversion rates, with 92% of advertisers choosing to keep it enabled.
The new cost estimate feature also provides projected CPM ranges for sales campaigns, offering guidance to help you meet your X marketing campaign goals.
Related Reads:
• 30 Key Social Shopping Statistics You Need to Know in 2024
• 20 Key Advertising Trends to Watch in 2024
7 Types of Twitter Ads
Before we get into how to advertise on Twitter (now X), it pays to know the different types of Twitter ads available for your campaigns. Below, we break down each type:
1. Promoted Ads
Promoted ads are paid placements that appear in user feeds or search results. They come in four formats:
• Image Ads: Showcase a product or service using a single photo.
• Video Ads: Use videos to showcase products, drive traffic or engage your audience.
• Carousel Ads: Display up to six swipeable images or videos in one ad, ideal for presenting multiple products or telling a story.
• Text Ads: Focus on delivering text-only messages, ideal for short announcements or quick calls to action.
2. Vertical Video Ads
Vertical video ads are full-screen videos displayed in users’ feeds, offering an immersive experience. After one second, a call-to-action (CTA) button appears to drive clicks. Since vertical videos account for 20% of the daily time spent on X, they’re a strong way to reach and engage mobile users.
3. X Amplify
X Amplify Ads lets advertisers align their ads with video content from relevant brands. There are two main options:
• Amplify Pre-Roll: Ads play before a publisher’s video content begins. Advertisers can choose from over 15+ content categories to match their ads with relevant videos. In certain markets, Curated Categories are also available for more precise targeting.
• Amplify Sponsorships: This option pairs your brand with a single publisher for exclusive visibility during specific events or X marketing campaigns. However, this feature is only available to managed advertisers, not self-serve accounts.
4. X Takeovers
These advertisements provide premium ad placements on X’s most valuable real estate, both on desktop and mobile. Options include:
• Timeline Takeover: Your ad is the first one users see when they open X for the day, improving visibility and engagement.
• Trend Takeover: Place your ad alongside trending topics on X’s Explore tab, appearing above and within popular conversations.
5. X Live
X Live allows brands to stream events in real time to a global audience. This format is perfect for broadcasting key moments such as product launches, conferences, watch parties or fashion shows.
6. Dynamic Products (DPA)
Dynamic Product Ads personalize ad content to show the most relevant products to customers at the right time. You can choose between two options:
• DPA Retargeting: Displays ads featuring products users have interacted with on your website, such as items added to a shopping cart but not purchased.
• DPA Prospecting: Targets new customers with ads showcasing relevant products from your catalog.
When combined with X’s Web Conversions tools, DPAs help reduce Cost Per Purchase and improve Return on Ad Spend (ROAS).
7. Collection Ads
Collection Ads are designed to showcase multiple products, tell a story and drive purchases all in one place. This format includes a primary hero image with smaller thumbnails offering:
• Single View Experience: Display all products in one view, eliminating the need to swipe through individual cards like Carousel Ads.
• Multi-Destination Functionality: Lets advertisers link to multiple product or service destinations within the same ad.
• Creative Flexibility: Accommodates up to six products, services or promotions, providing more room to showcase visuals and key offerings.
Bonus: Additional X Features
In addition to the abovementioned types of Twitter ads, X offers several features that enhance campaigns across formats:
• App Cards: Add a clickable button to ad creative that links directly to an App Store or Play Store download page. For users who already have the app, the button can open a specific location within the app on mobile devices.
• Website Cards: Enable clickable functionality in image or video ads to direct users to specific landing pages.
• Branded Hashtags: Let advertisers add a visually unique element to their campaigns with custom hashtags that stand out wherever they appear on X.
• Branded Notifications: Allow users to opt in and receive exclusive content or updates directly from your brand during key moments.
How Much Do Twitter Ads Cost?
Here’s a breakdown of how much you can expect to pay when using ads in your Twitter marketing strategy based on data from WebFX:
Monthly Advertising Costs
Most businesses spend between $101 and $500 monthly on X ads. Costs vary based on budget, competition, bid type and industry. While 15% of advertisers spend under $100, others allocate over $10,000 monthly to reach a larger audience.
Cost Per First Action
The average cost for a “first action” (the initial click, reply, repost or favorite) on promoted posts ranges between $0.26 and $1.50. Promoted posts increase the visibility of your shared content to reach more users. Advertisers set bids to control how much they pay per action.
Cost Per Follow
If you’re running promoted accounts to grow your follower count, expect to pay between $0 and $4 per follow. Promoted accounts target users who don’t already follow you. X lets you set bid amounts for each new follower gained through ads.
These figures give you a general idea of costs, but your actual ad spend will depend on different factors, which we will discuss in the next section.
What Factors Affect Twitter Advertising Costs?
Several factors influence how much you’ll pay for ads on X. These factors collectively influence how much advertisers pay per click (CPC) or per thousand impressions (CPM) on Twitter. Here are some factors to consider:
Quality Score
X uses an auction system where your bid competes with others, but it also evaluates your ad’s quality and relevance. Higher quality scores increase your chances of winning bids at a lower cost.
Factors that influence quality score include:
• Resonance: Engagement metrics such as clicks, reposts, comments and likes show how well your ad resonates with users.
• Relevance: Ads that align with your audience’s interests and preferences are more likely to succeed.
• Recency: X prioritizes newer ads, as fresh content tends to perform better with users.
Competition
Your cost depends on competitors’ bids. For example, if your bid is $1 higher than the next competitor, you’ll only pay $0.01 more than their bid.
Billable Actions
Costs vary based on the actions tied to your campaign objectives. If your campaign focuses on link clicks, you only pay when someone clicks on your ad link. Each campaign type has its billable action, such as clicks, follows or video views
Bid Type
X offers three bidding strategies to control spending:
• Automatic bids optimize your campaign’s performance by allowing X to adjust bids automatically.
• Maximum bids let you set the highest amount you will pay for each billable action.
• Target bids let you specify an average bid you want to achieve, and X optimizes delivery to meet that target.
Setting Twitter Budgets
The good news is that no matter your campaign goals, X offers three ways to control how you manage ad spending:
• Daily Budget: Set the total amount X can spend daily on ads. Depending on your settings, you can apply this budget at the campaign or ad group level.
• Total Campaign Budget: This is often referred to as a “lifetime budget” on other platforms. It allows you to set a maximum budget for an entire campaign.
• Ad Group Budget: Allocate specific budgets for different ad groups within a campaign, offering greater control over fund distribution.
How To Post on Twitter: X Ad Targeting Options
Beyond demographic and keyword targeting, X offers a variety of ways to refine your targeting and boost your Twitter Ad revenue:
Demographic Targeting
Target your audience based on characteristics, such as location, age, language and gender.
Keyword Targeting
Reach users based on words or phrases they’ve posted or searched for. X supports three match types to give you more control:
• Broad Match: Captures variations and related terms.
• Phrase Match: Targets phrases in the exact word order, with slight variations allowed.
• Exact Match: Matches the exact keyword or phrase without variations.
Custom Audiences and Remarketing
Custom Audiences allow you to upload lists of emails, phone numbers or usernames to target specific groups. Remarketing allows you to target users who’ve interacted with your website or app using the X pixel or mobile app conversion tracking.
Behavioral and Interest-Based Targeting
Match audiences to their purchasing behaviors or interests, such as sports, technology or food. You can also time campaigns to align with when users are most active.
How To Advertise on Twitter: 10 Steps
Advertising on Twitter involves leveraging the platform’s diverse audience and targeting tools to promote your brand or message effectively. With precise targeting options based on demographics, interests, and behavior, you can reach the right audience and achieve your marketing goals. Now that you know the basics, here are Twitter advertising tips for setting up and launching your first campaign.
Step 1: Create an X Ads Account
To begin, visit business.x.com and log in using your existing X credentials. If it’s your first time, X will prompt you to set up an account.
Click Get Started and follow the steps to add your business details and billing information. Once setup is complete, you’ll gain access to the X Ads dashboard, where you can create campaigns to drive your business’s Twitter ad revenue.
Step 2: Choose a Campaign Type
In the X Ads dashboard, click Create Campaign in the top right corner. You’ll see two options:
Simple mode is best for beginners. X’s automated tools handle targeting and optimization based on your goals.
For advertisers who want more control, Advanced mode allows you to refine targeting, bidding and campaign settings.
Step 3: Set Campaign Objectives
After selecting a mode, choose an objective that aligns with your campaign goals.
In Simple mode, you can choose from the objectives:
• Reach: Show your ad to as many people as possible.
• Engagements: Drive likes, reposts and replies to your content.
• Traffic: Send users to your website.
• Keywords: Target audiences based on specific words and phrases.
In Advanced mode, you’ll unlock additional objectives tailored to the buyer’s journey, such as Awareness, Consideration or Conversion.
Step 4: Enter Campaign Details
If you choose Simple mode, you’ll move straight to the ad creation screen. The options and fields you see will depend on the objective you selected earlier.
For Advanced mode, you’ll need to fill out more details, including:
• Campaign name
• Campaign start and end dates
• Daily and optional total budget
Additional information may be required depending on your objective. For example, if your goal is app installations, X will prompt you to connect your app to the platform.
Once all campaign details are complete, click Next to proceed.
Step 5: Select Ad Group and Bidding
Advanced campaigns will have the option to create multiple ad groups within a single campaign. Each ad group will require you to complete several sections:
• Budget and Schedule: Set your daily spend and optional total campaign budget.
• Delivery: Choose your campaign goal, bidding strategy and conversion tracking preferences.
• Placements: Select your ad type (image, video, carousel, etc.) and where it will appear on X.
• Demographics: Define age, language and location settings for your audience.
• Devices: Target users based on their device type, carrier and other specifications.
• Audiences: Target X Premium subscribers or use a custom audience list.
• Targeting Options: Include or exclude specific keywords, interests and topics. Retarget followers or users you’ve interacted with.
• Targeting Strategy: Enable optimized targeting to let X reach users outside your settings if they’re likely to convert.
Once you’ve completed your ad group setup, select a bid type. As mentioned earlier, X provides three bidding options:
• Automatic Bid: X optimizes your bids to get the most impressions at the lowest cost. Ideal for beginners.
• Maximum Bid: You set the maximum amount you’ll pay per engagement, giving you more budget control.
• Target Bid: Pay an average cost per click for the day, adjusting bid amounts based on performance.
Here’s what it will look like:
Step 7: Identify Your Target Audience
It’s time to define who you want to reach with your campaign. A well-targeted audience ensures your Twitter marketing strategy delivers the best results.
Start by specifying basic targeting criteria:
• Gender
• Age
• Location
• Language
• Device Type
To refine your audience further, use additional targeting features, such as:
• Keywords
• Conversation Topics
• Related Interests
These tools help you connect with users most likely to engage with your content. However, avoid excessive targeting, as narrowing your audience too much can limit your campaign’s reach.
Incorporate Twitter marketing tips like testing different audience sizes and experimenting with targeting options to expand reach and improve performance.
Once you’re satisfied with your settings, click Next to move forward.
Step 8: Upload X Ad Creatives
Now that the details are set, it’s time to create your ad. Add a name for the ad and specify its destination, such as a website link or app store page.
As you enter this information, a live preview will appear on the right side of the screen, showing how your ad will look once published.
If everything looks good, click Review Your Campaign to proceed to the next step.
Step 9: Review Campaign Settings and Launch
In Simple mode, the review page includes optional settings for demographics and targeting. Because these campaigns utilize X’s optimized targeting, you will have fewer fields to modify.
In Advanced mode, the review page provides a detailed summary of your campaign settings, including audience targeting, ad placements, bidding strategy and budget.
Take a moment to double-check everything. Once you’re satisfied, click Launch Campaign to set your ads live.
Step 10: Monitor Campaign Performance
Once your ads have gained traction, you can review performance analytics in the X Ads Manager.
The X Ads Manager offers a centralized dashboard for planning, managing and reporting on campaigns. It provides insights to help you understand the performance of your ads and guides you in applying Twitter marketing tips to optimize future campaigns.
You can set custom metrics based on what you want to track for your campaigns:
Analyzing these results will also help you optimize your ad campaigns for better Twitter Ad revenue. For additional support, consider partnering with a Twitter advertising agency to maximize your return on ad spend and lower acquisition costs.
Related Reads:
• Social Media Management 101: Everything You Need to Know
• The Ultimate Social Media Marketing Strategy for eCommerce
• How To Use Social Media for Business in 2024
8 Twitter Advertising Tips and Best Practices: How To Post on Twitter the Right Way
Creating high-quality ads is essential for effective promotions. Here are some Twitter marketing tips to help you craft compelling ads:
1. Keep Ad Copy Short and Sweet
You only have a few seconds to grab attention. While X allows up to 280 characters, ads with fewer than 100 characters perform best. Keep your message clear, focused and concise.
Pair short posts with engaging videos, images or GIFs. If you have more to share, add the 🧵 emoji to indicate that it’s part of a longer thread.
2. Add a Strong CTA
Be clear and direct about what you want users to do. Use phrases like “Follow us,” “Click to read more” or “Reply with your favorite [insert here].”
Strong CTAs work well for follower and engagement campaigns but are effective across all campaign types.
3. Create a Sense of Urgency
Create FOMO (fear of missing out) with limited-time offers, discounts or other enticing deals. For instance, promote a sale that ends in 24 hours or offer discounts to the first 20 people who sign up. Give people a clear reason to act immediately.
4. Limit Exit Points
As X notes, too many #hashtags or @mentions in your ads can distract users and pull them away from your ad. Use a single exit point, such as a link to your app or website, to keep your message focused.
5. Add Compelling Visuals
X reports that 97% of users focus on visuals, so attaching catchy images or videos to your post is important. Avoid blurry or overused stock photos.
Among all creative formats, videos are one of the fastest-growing mediums on X. Optimize your videos with these tips from X:
• Cap videos at 15 seconds or less for better impact and completion rates. For pre-roll campaigns, remember viewers can skip after 6 seconds.
• Add movement in the first few seconds to grab attention quickly.
• Use captions or text overlays so your messages reach viewers with sound off.
• Include your logo or brand name in the first three seconds. Ads with clear branding boost brand recall by 30%.
6. Start With Automatic Bidding
Your bid determines how often your ad is shown. Starting with auto bidding ensures your bid is competitive in auctions and increases the chances of your ads getting served.
Monitor your campaign performance and adjust your bids based on results. For ads that perform well or are close to meeting your goals, consider increasing the bid to maximize their potential.
7. Test Multiple Posts and Vary Creatives
Running three to five different ad formats can improve brand lift, awareness and purchase intent. For example, you could combine a video ad with a website button, an image post and even a plain-text post.
Additionally, experiment with tone and style across your ads. Use A/B testing to compare different creatives, tones or formats to determine what works best for your target audience.
8. Monitor and Adjust Campaigns
Check your campaign performance regularly, audit posts and update targeting options or creatives as needed. Allow two to three days for changes to stabilize before evaluating results. If performance remains low, pause or stop the campaign and try a new Twitter marketing strategy.
Related Reads:
• What Is a Social Media Audit and Why Your Business Needs It
• How To Conduct a Social Media Audit
Running ad campaigns can be time-consuming, especially for businesses with packed schedules. Partnering with a Twitter advertising agency can simplify the process. These agencies handle everything from creative development to targeting and analytics, allowing you to focus on other areas of your business.
Optimize Your X Ad Campaigns With Thrive
X advertising offers a range of benefits for businesses aiming to grow their brand and reach the right audience. With features like tailored targeting, dynamic ad formats and analytics, it’s an important tool for success.
To fully capitalize on these advantages, partner with a trusted Twitter advertising agency that understands the platform’s nuances and strategies.
Thrive Internet Marketing Agency has helped countless clients achieve results through social media advertising. We’ve supported brands from the early Twitter days to their transition into X, adapting strategies to keep delivering value.
“At Thrive, we aim to match your business goals with the ideal platform. When clients want to curate conversation and articulate their brand purpose to an informed community, X ads are a great avenue to do this,” said Ramphele.
“Thrive has more agility and skill depth than most agencies when it comes to digital marketing solutions for real business challenges and goals.”
As a full-service social media marketing agency, we offer:
• Social media management
• Social media brand management
• Franchise social media marketing
• Enterprise social media marketing
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Creative ad copy
• Reporting and analytics
Multiply your X ad revenue and unlock new growth opportunities – speak to our social media experts today.
Twitter (X) Advertising FAQs
CAN I CREATE MY OWN X ADVERTISING STRATEGY?
Yes, you can! If you’re experienced with pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, running X ad campaigns is fairly simple.
If PPC or the X platform is new to you, consider outsourcing to an experienced X marketing agency. An agency like Thrive can help manage bids, target the right audiences, optimize ad campaigns and more to deliver results.
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR ADVERTISING BUDGET SHOULD YOU ALLOCATE TO X ADS?
A WebFX survey of 270 marketers found that, on average, businesses allocate 6% to 30% of their advertising budget to X ads (51% of respondents). How much you spend will depend on your goals, needs and the results you want to achieve.
DO I NEED TO BE VERIFIED TO POST X ADS?
The platform’s guidelines state that accounts must be verified through one of the following programs to be eligible for X Ads:
• For Businesses and Government Entities: Learn more about Verified Organizations here.
• For Individuals: Learn more about X Premium here.
You can learn more about X’s criteria for ad eligibility here.
HOW CAN I APPLY FOR ADS PRE-AUTHORIZATION?
X requires ad authorization to promote specific products or services in your chosen region. All accounts and campaigns go through an approval process to ensure they comply with X’s advertising policies and maintain platform quality.
To begin the application process, ensure you have the following information ready:
• Proof of Authorization: Attach valid licenses, permits or certifications required to advertise your products or services in the applicable region. These documents must be updated at the time of application.
• URL(s) to Be Advertised: Provide active URLs that match the content you want to promote. Ensure the URLs meet X’s Advertising Policies and work properly.
• Target Countries: Specify the countries where you intend to display your advertisements.
The review process usually takes up to one business day but may take longer in certain cases. You’ll be notified via email about your approval status once your application has been reviewed. Learn more about X’s approval process here.
