Table of Contents
The Misleading Information
No, X is not boosting the popularity of MrBeast’s first video upload in the app by presenting it as an undeclared commercial. However, it continues to be dishonest in its measurements and how it distributes data to the public.
This week, several X users reported seeing MrBeast’s video in their stream, with the typical ad disclosure options available in the three dots drop-down menu on the post, despite the fact that it was not marked as ‘Promoted’.
Many argued that X was likely promoting MrBeast post to as many users as possible in order to increase its view count and so maximize the video’s income potential, as it attempts to attract the YouTube superstar to join the app.
However, X has emphasized that the disclosure above refers to the clip’s pre-roll advertising rather than the footage itself.
MrBeast Promotion not Shadow Boosted
The video is not being “shadow boosted,” but X is promoting it aggressively to reach a large audience. A win for MrBeast would be a significant endorsement for other makers.
At the same time, X continues to undermine its credibility by releasing false information, this time with the MrBeast footage.
𝕏 vs YouTube
— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) January 19, 2024
𝕏: 129 Million in 3 days
YouTube: 212 Million in 4 months pic.twitter.com/DvAVk8bBrp
X’s post view count, which is the only one visible to the public, includes every time a post appears in a user’s feed, regardless of whether the user views the video or interacts with the post. It is not a video view count, which YouTube calculates after a user watches 30 seconds of a clip.
So YouTube’s view count is significantly more indicative of actual interest, whereas X’s “view” measurement is the number of post impressions, which is far less meaningful (and far simpler to manipulate).
X understands this, and Stanley recognizes it in his responses. Yet, the X team continues on increasing deceptive statistics like this, in order to give the appearance that its platform is doing better.
Which is inaccurate and, as previously said, erodes confidence in every data point reported.
Did X finally beat Instagram?
Elon Musk, X’s owner, is guilty of the same, routinely exaggerating erroneous data items such as this:
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 15, 2023
The statistics presented here only includes web traffic, which represents for approximately 20% of X’s traffic and 5% of IG’s total usage. The great bulk of social platform usage occurs within apps, which are not recorded by external numbers.
Elon, of course, is aware of this, but he continues to share it as if it were actual indicative data, when in reality, you’re comparing a tiny fraction of X usage to an even smaller fraction of Instagram’s.
As a result, it is essentially worthless, and X is nowhere near outperforming IG in terms of overall usage. The fact that they advocate this type of smoke-and-mirrors approach to their consumption data simply decreases confidence in their numbers.
as opposed to providing the false sense of worth that they might expect.
But perhaps some smaller advertisers, whom X is now targeting, will be duped. At the same time, it’s also feasible that X’s performance is OK, but we don’t know, and we can’t know if they keep giving data points like this.
But, ultimately, the statistics aren’t important, because it won’t matter how many users X has if no sponsors want to advertise in the app.
Many major corporations are still hesitant to resume their X ad campaigns, and with Elon constantly voicing his most heated thoughts on every divisive issue, the chances of regaining them are slim.
Income from X premium subscriptions will not save the company, and X will undoubtedly slash its personnel significantly more than it already has.
If it does not get its ad business back on track soon, X may have a billion members but continue to lose money.
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