Will you be using X for your holiday promotions this year?
Elon and Co. have been busy touting the platform’s improving ad offerings, now powered by its Grok AI tool, which enables advertisers to rely on Grok to find the right audience for their promotions, and optimize performance in the app.
And if your audience is active there, it could be worth considering, and this week, X has launched a new holiday marketing hub to help guide your X ads approach this coming season.
X’s holiday marketing hub includes links to a range of upcoming webinars with X’s ad team, covering key topics like how to use the X pixel, the latest ad tools on X, and creative best practices.
Which could be important, because X recently updated its ad system in order to put more focus on better-looking ads, with a new “aesthetic score” element that will impact the reach of your X ads depending on how enticing the system thinks your promotions are.
Which seems like a fairly subjective judgment, though Elon recently provided a little more context on what an “aesthetically pleasing” X ad actually entails:
“[Your] ads don’t need to win some contest or something, just not [be] jarring and ugly, [because] I have a personal aversion to jarring and ugly ads. And I’d actually rather make less money than have strident and ugly ads in the system.”
Okay, that’s not a heap more context, but basically, you need to try and make ads that appeal to Elon. So, like, make ads that you think would appeal to the person who designed the look of the Cybertruck.
In more practical terms, X has also provided some tips on how to create better X ads, including:
- Shorter is sweeter - The best performing ads are only 50-100 characters. Make sure your ad is simple, gets straight to the point, and focuses on one clear message.
- Be authentic - Brands get real on X, and our audience expects them to be. Stay true to your voice, speak naturally and directly to your audience, and avoid being overly sales-y.
- Create urgency - Give people a reason to take immediate action. Highlight limited-time offers or unique value to motivate clicks, downloads, or purchases.
X says that brands should also use clear CTAs, and reduce distractions that could drive users away from the main focus of your promotion:
“Avoid using @mentions in your ad whenever possible, as they can distract viewers and lead them away from your content. Hashtags and multiple emojis are also prohibited in ads for the same reason.”
X banned hashtags and limited emojis in ads earlier this year, with Elon noting at the time that he views these things as non-aesthetic. So that gives you a little more to go on in the ad attractiveness stakes.
X also notes that eye-catching visuals are important, while 80% of X’s user base engages with the app on mobile, so you should be designing for mobile presentation.
X also suggests using video in your promotions, while it also recommends using 3-5 different ad formats in each campaign to maximize performance.
Some handy notes, which could help to point you in the right direction if you’re looking to use X ads this holiday season.
