Welcome to this week’s Red Hot Social Headlines. Here we look at X’s new user policy to combat bots, LinkedIn’s testing of a new premium offering, AI influencers on TikTok, and why marketers are looking to move their Meta ad dollars elsewhere.
Elon Musk Says New X Users Have to Pay to Post
The head of X announced a new policy to restrict spam bots, but real users may have to pay.
Key Details:
On Monday, Musk announced that new X users will soon have to pay a small fee for ‘write access.’ The new user fee is X’s latest attempt to curb spam bots on the platform.
X has faced significant backlash in recent months for its inability to remove bots posting pornographic content or fake products from its platform.
The new user fee is also likely a tactic to increase revenue after a significant drop in valuation and exits from dozens of major advertisers.
Key Takeaways: X’s fight against spam bots continues. Even if the new policy proves successful in restricting bots, however, it may also deter new users and brands from joining the platform.
LinkedIn Testing Premium Company Page Subscription with AI-assisted Content Creation
LinkedIn continues to diversify its business model by testing new premium features specifically for company pages.
Key Details:
LinkedIn is developing a new Premium Company Page subscription featuring AI tools to write content, grow followers and raise the profile of brands.
LinkedIn has not yet publicly disclosed the subscription fee but TechCrunch reports that cost starts at $99.99 per month per page.
The Premium Company Page is LinkedIn’s latest addition to its premium offerings, a growing revenue stream for the platform. In March, LinkedIn reported its Premium user subscriptions grew 25% year-on-year to $1.7 billion in 2023.
Key Takeaways: Brands may soon have the option to leverage LinkedIn’s AI tools for content creation, meaning marketers must be prepared to adapt their existing content strategy to either embrace or compete with such tools.
Read more about LinkedIn’s new Premium Company Page HERE.
TikTok May Enable Brands to Generate AI Bots to Pitch Products
TikTok is reportedly working on a new option that would enable brands to use virtual influencers to sell their products on their behalf via videos and live streams in the app.
Key Details:
If you’ve been following the trend of virtual influencers, this announcement shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. However, this feature will test how truly receptive audiences are to virtual influencers when it comes to their purchasing decisions.
AI influencers have already become hugely popular in the Chinese market, with simulated characters able to stream 24/7, sometimes selling thousands of dollars’ worth of goods every day. The AI bots are designed to mimic the words of the advertiser’s script, which are also often generated using AI.
The rollout of this new feature has the potential to impact the influencer market and how brands partner with creators to sell their products.
Key Takeaways: Astechnology continues to evolve, AI influencers likely aren’t going to disappear. Marketers should pay attention to this trend and be ready to advise brands on if and how working with AI bots may support their goals and impact the influencer marketplace at large.
Learn more about TikTok’s testing of AI bots HERE.
Meta Advertisers Are Adrift in Adversity as Bug-filled Problems Persist
Marketers on Facebook and Instagram are reporting glitches, higher prices and poorer returns on ads purchased on the once-reliable network.
Key Details:
As Meta has expanded, so has the occurrence of bugs and glitches, which now have marketers questioning the viability of the network.
Ad execs are equally frustrated by Meta’s unresponsive and insufficient support service along with declining returns on platform spend.
Many marketers, especially those representing smaller brands, say they’re opting to spend less money advertising on Meta and are seeking alternative channels.
Key Takeaways: While Meta still dominates the social ad space to date, this could change as marketers pursue alternative channels where they’re seeing stronger ROI. Brands should pay close attention to their paid social approach to the platform, especially if bugs and glitches continue to persist.
