How to Make Money on Twitter (X) in 2025: A Complete Guide for Content Creators
FEATUREDINNOVATIONSOCIAL MEDIA
The landscape of social media monetization has transformed dramatically since Elon Musk took over Twitter and rebranded it to X. What was once a platform limited to brand sponsorships is now a full-fledged creator economy with multiple revenue streams. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, finance commentator, content creator, or entrepreneur, 2025 offers unprecedented opportunities to earn money directly from your X presence.
This guide breaks down every viable way to monetize on X in 2025, including eligibility requirements, realistic earnings expectations, and actionable strategies to maximize your income.
The Shift to Creator-Focused Monetization
Unlike the old Twitter era, X has repositioned itself to directly compete with YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok as a creator economy platform. Since mid-2023, X has rolled out native monetization tools that allow creators to earn from their content without relying solely on external brand deals. This fundamental shift means your X presence can now function as a legitimate income stream.
Primary X Monetization Methods in 2025
1. Ads Revenue Sharing: The Foundation of X Earnings
The Ads Revenue Sharing program remains the most accessible way to earn on X. This program shares advertising revenue generated from ads displayed in replies to your tweets, meaning you get paid based on engagement and impressions.
Eligibility Requirements:
Active subscription to X Premium (Blue) or verified organization status
Minimum 500 verified followers
At least 5 million organic impressions within the last 3 months
Stripe account for payouts
Compliance with X's monetization policies
Earnings Potential:
Real earnings data shows significant variation. A creator with approximately 7,000 followers reported making around $300 per month through ads revenue sharing, while creators with nearly 90,000 followers were earning similar amounts. On average, creators can expect approximately $8.50 per million verified impressions, though rates range from $8 to $12 per million verified impressions depending on engagement quality and audience composition.
The key distinction in 2025 is that X shifted from paying based on raw ad impressions to prioritizing engagement from Premium users. This means an audience of engaged Premium subscribers is worth significantly more than a larger unverified audience.
Strategy Tips for Success:
Focus on creating discussion-driven content that encourages replies and engagement
Maintain an active posting schedule
Engage actively with your followers to build community
Keep up with trending topics in your niche
Create threads and viral tweets rather than single posts
2. Subscriptions: Building Predictable Recurring Revenue
X Subscriptions (formerly called Super Follows) allow your most loyal followers to pay a monthly fee for exclusive content and benefits. This is arguably the most stable revenue stream since it creates recurring income.
How It Works:
Followers subscribe for $2.99–$9.99 per month and receive perks including:
Subscriber-only posts and content
Exclusive Spaces (live audio events)
Subscriber badges next to their name
Early access to new materials
Private group access or consulting services
Eligibility Requirements:
X Premium subscription
At least 2,000 verified followers
5 million impressions in the past 3 months
At least 18 years old with a complete profile
Active account in good standing
Revenue Split:
Creators keep 97% of subscription earnings after app store fees until they reach $50,000 in lifetime earnings, then 90% afterwards. This is one of X's most creator-friendly revenue splits compared to other platforms.
Building a Successful Subscription Model:
Tease exclusive content on your public feed to build anticipation
Show followers what they're missing out on to drive subscriptions
Offer genuine value beyond what's publicly available
Host exclusive Q&A sessions or live content for subscribers
Provide early access to products, services, or information
3. Tips and Direct Fan Support
Tips (also called Tip Jar) is X's simplest monetization feature. Enable a tip button on your profile, and followers can send you money directly without any complicated setup.
Advantages:
No follower count or impression requirements
Quick setup via iOS and Android apps
Multiple payment options (Cash App, PayPal, Strike)
Direct connection to fan support
Micro-donations that add up over time
Best for: Creators who have a smaller but highly engaged community and want an easy way to accept support.
4. Ticketed Spaces: Monetizing Live Audio Events
X Spaces is the platform's live audio feature, and Ticketed Spaces allow you to charge entry fees for exclusive conversations.
How It Works:
Host live audio events (interviews, panels, workshops, performances)
Set ticket prices between $1 and $999
Fans purchase tickets to join your Spaces
X handles the payment processing via Stripe
Eligibility:
Active account with a proven track record of Spaces usage
Loyal, engaged following interested in live audio content
Monetization Strategies:
Partner with co-hosts and guest speakers to attract larger audiences
Offer recorded replays for a fee after the live event
Create subscription-based models for regular attendees
Promote Spaces events in advance to maximize ticket sales
5. Sponsored Content and Brand Deals
If you've built substantial influence in your niche, brands will pay you directly to create sponsored tweets or endorse their products.
Pricing Guidelines:
Sponsored content rates follow an industry standard: charge $2–20 per 1,000 followers as a baseline. For example, with 30,000 followers, you could expect $60–600 per tweet. However, pricing varies significantly by niche:
Tech, crypto, and finance niches command premiums of 2–3x the baseline rate due to advertiser demand and audience purchasing power
Threads and video content earn 40–50% premiums over static posts
X engagement rates are approximately 50–60% lower than Instagram, which influences pricing but is offset by lower content saturation
Best Practices for Sponsored Content:
Ensure sponsored tweets feel genuine and align with your personal brand
Only promote products that make sense for your audience
Always disclose partnerships clearly to maintain trust with followers
Share products or services your followers genuinely need
6. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing remains one of the most accessible and sustainable X monetization methods. Promote third-party products or services through affiliate links and earn commissions for each sale.
Why It Works on X:
Aligns perfectly with discussion-driven content
Your followers trust your recommendations
Builds naturally into product recommendations and reviews
Creates passive income from existing engagement
Works across multiple niches (tech, wellness, finance, education)
Strategy for Success:
Pick products that genuinely align with your niche and audience interests
Write persuasive posts or threads explaining how products benefit users
Use visuals and examples to improve engagement
Share honest reviews and personal experiences
Disclose affiliate relationships transparently
Example: If your niche is technology, share affiliate links to gadgets, software, or services you genuinely use and recommend.
7. Selling Digital and Physical Products
X serves as a powerful sales channel for your own products, whether digital or physical.
Digital Products:
E-books and guides
Templates and design resources
Online courses
Consulting services
Lightroom presets, Figma components, etc.
Physical Products:
Branded merchandise (t-shirts, hoodies, mugs)
Handmade items
Artisan goods
Strategy:
Share examples of your products and their benefits
Create compelling teasers and previews
Offer limited-time discounts to drive urgency
Use Shop Spotlight to showcase products directly on your profile
Provide flexible payment options to remove purchase friction
8. Shop Spotlight and X Commerce Features
Shop Spotlight is X's emerging e-commerce integration that allows professional accounts to showcase products directly on their profile.
How It Works:
Display products directly in your profile
Drive clicks to your storefront or Shopify shop
Integrate with existing e-commerce platforms
Combine with targeted promotional content to drive conversions
Real Example: A jewelry designer uses Shop Spotlight to display handmade pieces on her X profile. When followers click, they're directed to her full storefront. By combining this with strategic X advertising, she turned X into her top revenue channel within six months.
9. X Money: The Future of Creator Payments (Rolling Out in 2025)
X Money represents Elon Musk's vision of an all-in-one payment ecosystem, similar to WeChat Pay or Venmo but integrated directly into X.
What X Money Offers Creators:
Instant payouts instead of multi-day delays
Lower fees (speculated at 1.5–2%)
Direct fan support through tips and subscriptions
No need to switch between apps
New revenue streams and payment options
Real-time earnings tracking with full transparency
Partnership with Visa for secure transactions
Launch Timeline: X Money is expected to roll out in the first quarter of 2025, with additional partnerships with financial institutions anticipated.
Implications for Creators:
X Money could fundamentally change how creators earn on the platform by streamlining all payment types (tips, subscriptions, brand deals, product sales) into a single native ecosystem. Once fully launched, this will likely become the preferred payment method for X monetization.
Understanding the X 2025 Monetization Landscape
Important Context for Realistic Expectations:
While X offers genuine earning opportunities, it's important to understand the platform's current state. X's ad revenue faced challenges in 2025, with the platform experiencing a projected decline of 4.8% in ad revenue compared to 2024, estimated at $2.99 billion annually. Additionally, the median engagement rate on X decreased from 0.029% in 2024 to 0.015% in 2025, indicating a more challenging environment for reaching audiences.
However, this doesn't mean creators can't earn. Rather, it means success on X requires:
Quality over quantity: Focus on engagement-driving content rather than chasing raw impressions
Niche expertise: Creators in high-advertiser-demand niches (tech, finance, crypto) perform better
Multi-stream approach: Combine multiple monetization methods rather than relying on a single source
Premium audience focus: Cultivate an audience of engaged Premium subscribers
Real Creator Earnings in 2025
To give you realistic expectations, here's what actual creators are earning across different tiers:
Small Creators (500–7,000 followers): $10–$100/month primarily from ad revenue sharing and tips
Mid-Tier Creators (7,000–90,000 followers): $300–$2,000/month from ad revenue, tips, and some brand deals
Top Creators (500,000+ followers): $5,000+/month from diversified revenue streams including ad revenue sharing, subscriptions, brand partnerships, and affiliate marketing
Real Examples:
Creator A (500 followers, new): Limited earnings, focused on building audience
Creator B (7,000 followers, crypto niche): ~$300/month from ad revenue and tips
Creator C (500,000+ followers, tech and startups): $5,000+/month from ad revenue, subscriptions, Ticketed Spaces, and sponsored content
Maximizing Your X Monetization Strategy in 2025
For Beginners (Under 500 Followers):
Focus on building your audience by creating valuable, niche-specific content
Enable Tips once available to accept early supporter contributions
Start affiliate marketing with low-friction affiliate links
Create digital products (free lead magnets) to build your email list
Once you hit 500 followers, apply for X Premium and work toward ad revenue sharing eligibility
For Growing Creators (500–10,000 Followers):
Apply for Ads Revenue Sharing program (if you have 5M impressions)
Pilot subscriptions to test if your audience wants exclusive content
Pitch brand deals to companies in your niche
Scale affiliate marketing across product recommendations
Launch Ticketed Spaces around your expertise
For Established Creators (10,000+ Followers):
Diversify across all monetization streams
Negotiate higher brand deal rates based on your engagement
Build tiered subscription offerings with different price points
Develop a product suite (digital products, courses, merchandise)
Focus on Premium user engagement since it drives higher ad revenue payouts
Leverage Shop Spotlight for e-commerce integration
Plan X Money integration when it launches
Critical Success Factors for X Monetization
1. Choose Content That Drives Discussion
X rewards creators who spark conversations. Threads, debates, Q&As, and thought-provoking content generate more replies than static posts, which directly increases your ad revenue potential.
2. Consistency Over Virality
While one viral tweet is exciting, consistent posting and engagement with your audience builds the sustainable impression counts needed for monetization. Aim for a regular posting schedule that keeps you visible to your followers.
3. Video Content Beats Static Posts
Video performs significantly better than static tweets, especially on trending topics. If you want to maximize impressions and engagement, prioritize video content in your content strategy.
4. Timing and Trends Matter
Monitor trending topics in your niche and create timely responses. X prioritizes real-time conversations, so posting videos or threads about trends while they're happening dramatically increases visibility.
5. Repurpose Content Across Platforms
Don't let your X content stop there. Repurpose your best-performing tweets, threads, and videos for YouTube Shorts, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. This multiplies your earnings potential and protects your income against any single platform's algorithm changes.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Chasing followers instead of engagement: X's algorithm prioritizes engagement; a smaller engaged audience is worth far more than a large disengaged one
Only posting for impressions: Remember that Premium user engagement matters more in 2025; focus on building a quality audience
Ignoring disclosure requirements: Always disclose sponsored content and affiliate relationships to maintain audience trust
Relying on a single monetization method: Diversify across ads, subscriptions, tips, and brand deals
Neglecting your community: Active engagement with followers increases loyalty and improves monetization potential across all methods
Preparing for X Money in 2025
As X Money launches, prepare by:
Ensuring your profile is complete and professional
Building authentic engagement with your audience
Testing existing monetization methods to understand what works for your niche
Connecting your Stripe account if you haven't already
Planning how X Money's lower fees might improve your earnings
The Bottom Line
Making money on X in 2025 is absolutely viable, but it requires understanding the platform's priorities and building a multi-stream monetization strategy. The most successful creators aren't relying on a single income source—they're combining ad revenue sharing, subscriptions, brand deals, affiliate marketing, and direct product sales into a cohesive income strategy.
The path to significant earnings typically looks like this: build an engaged audience in a specific niche, qualify for ad revenue sharing, test subscriptions and tips, pitch brand deals, develop affiliate partnerships, and eventually build your own digital products. Each step builds on the previous one to create compounding income growth.
Whether you're starting from scratch or you already have an X presence, the monetization infrastructure is in place for creators who commit to building authentic, valuable content and understanding how X's 2025 ecosystem works. Start with the methods that align with your strengths, test what resonates with your audience, and scale what works.