Twitter Advertising, now rebranded as X Advertising, connects advertisers to over 611 million active monthly users. With the rise of AI-powered features enhancing click-through and conversion rates, 2025 presents fresh opportunities for advertisers to engage audiences and grow their businesses on this dynamic platform.
Curious how to make the most of these advancements? This guide breaks down everything from ad types and targeting options to budgets and best practices—perfect for beginners and seasoned marketers alike.
What Is Twitter (X) Advertising?
Twitter Advertising, now known as X advertising, enables businesses to promote their content through highly targeted paid campaigns. These ads are performance-based, meaning advertisers are only charged when users complete specific actions—such as clicking a link, following the account, engaging with a tweet, or completing a conversion goal. This makes Twitter Advertising a cost-effective way to reach the right audience, drive measurable results, and grow your brand presence on the platform.
Are Twitter (X) Ads Worth It?
With users spending an average of 30 minutes daily on X, businesses have ample time to connect with potential customers. X is known for its real-time engagement and interactive nature, helping brands create buzz and stand out from the competition.
Key Benefits:
- Reach highly engaged audiences
- Leverage demographic and interest-based targeting
- Encourage immediate conversations and reactions
- Distinct placement options compared to other platforms
Targeting Options
X offers robust targeting tools to help advertisers reach their ideal audience:
- Demographics: Target by gender, location, language, and device.
- Behaviors and Interests: Focus on users’ online habits and likes.
- Keywords: Use seed keywords to connect with relevant searchers.
- Tailored Audiences: Target based on prior interactions or uploaded data.
- Lookalike Audiences: Expand reach to users with similar characteristics.
Tailored Audiences Explained
One of the strongest features on X, Tailored Audiences lets you target users based on prior interactions without needing personal info.
Examples:
- Target followers of niche accounts or influencers
- Upload customer contact data to retarget loyal users
- Use lookalike audiences to attract similar prospects
Are Twitter Ads Cost-Effective?
Many brands see strong ROI from Twitter (X) advertising. On average:
- $0.26–$0.50 per engagement
- $1.01–$2.00 per follow for promoted accounts
Recent updates have introduced AI-optimized targeting, which automatically expands your audience to improve performance. Tests showed:
- 10% increase in CTR
- 16% improvement in conversions
- Projected CPM ranges help manage budgets effectively
7 Types of Twitter (X) Ads
Promoted Ads
Appear in timelines or search results. Formats include:
- Image
- Video
- Carousel (up to six images or videos)
- Text-only
Vertical Video Ads
Full-screen mobile video ads crafted for immersive, scroll-stopping experiences that capture attention instantly. These vertical ads are optimized for smartphone viewing and automatically display a compelling call-to-action (CTA) just one second in, encouraging users to take immediate action. Ideal for boosting brand awareness, engagement, and conversions in today’s mobile-first world.
X Amplify
Aligns your ad with premium video content:
- Pre-Roll: Ad plays before selected videos.
- Sponsorships: Exclusive brand placement with specific publishers (for managed accounts).
X Takeovers
Premium placements for high visibility:
- Timeline Takeover: First ad users see on login.
- Trend Takeover: Prominent ad position on the Explore tab.
X Live
Broadcast real-time events like product launches, conferences, interviews, or exclusive behind-the-scenes moments to a global audience. With X Live, you can engage followers as events unfold, encourage live interactions through comments and reactions, and create buzz that drives immediate and lasting brand visibility. Perfect for building hype, trust, and real-time engagement.
Dynamic Product Ads (DPA)
Showcase relevant products based on user behavior:
- Retargeting: Remind users of products they interacted with.
- Prospecting: Attract new users with personalized product suggestions.
Collection Ads
Combine a large hero image with multiple smaller product images:
- View all products in one ad
- Link to multiple landing pages
- Great for showcasing several offerings at once
Additional Features to Enhance Campaigns
- App Cards: Direct users to download or open your app.
- Website Cards: Drive traffic to your landing pages.
- Branded Hashtags: Make campaigns visually distinctive with custom hashtags.
- Branded Notifications: Let users opt-in to receive alerts or content during key moments.
How Much Do Twitter Ads Cost?
X uses a bidding system, so costs vary based on goals, competition, and audience targeting. Here’s a breakdown:
| Ad Type | Average Cost |
| First engagement | $0.26–$0.50 |
| Promoted account follow | $1.01–$2.00 |
| CPM (Cost per 1000 Impressions) | Varies based on targeting |
Setting Your Twitter Ad Budget
- Daily Budget: Spend cap for each day.
- Total Campaign Budget: Overall limit for the campaign.
- Bid Strategy: Choose between automatic or manual bidding to control costs.
X Ad Targeting: How It Works
Choose from targeting based on:
- Keywords
- Interests
- Engagement history
- Geography
- Followers of specific accounts
Advanced features like AI-optimized targeting allow for better performance by identifying high-value opportunities beyond your selected audience.
How To Advertise on Twitter in 10 Steps
- Create a Twitter (X) Ads account
- Set your objective (traffic, conversions, awareness, etc.)
- Define your audience
- Choose ad placement and format
- Set budget and bidding strategy
- Upload your creative
- Include relevant CTA and landing page
- Enable tracking with the X Pixel
- Review and publish
- Monitor performance and optimize
8 Tips to Post and Advertise Effectively on X
- Keep your message short and impactful
- Use eye-catching visuals or videos
- Pin top-performing tweets
- Leverage trending hashtags wisely
- Test different ad formats
- Schedule posts during peak hours
- Use strong CTAs
- Monitor metrics and adjust regularly
How Much Do Twitter (X) Ads Cost?
When planning your Twitter (X) advertising strategy, it’s helpful to understand the cost structure. While exact prices vary by campaign, here’s a general breakdown of what businesses typically spend:
Average Monthly Advertising Spend
Most businesses allocate between $100 and $500 per month on X ads. Factors such as budget flexibility, industry competition, and bidding strategies play a major role. Some smaller advertisers spend under $100, while larger brands may invest over $10,000 monthly for broader visibility.
Cost Per First Action
A “first action” includes engagements like clicks, reposts, replies, or likes on a promoted post. These actions generally cost between $0.26 and $1.50. Advertisers place bids to control spending per action and improve reach.
Cost Per Follow
To grow follower count using promoted accounts, you can expect to pay between $0 and $4 per follow. These ads are shown to users who don’t yet follow your profile, and the bid amount can be adjusted based on your goals and budget.
Your exact cost may vary depending on multiple factors, which we’ll explore below.
What Influences Twitter (X) Advertising Costs?
Several variables determine how much you’ll pay for ads on X. These include:
Ad Quality Score
X uses an auction system where your ad competes against others. However, the platform also evaluates ad quality. A higher-quality ad can win more placements at a lower cost. Key elements include:
- Engagement (Resonance): More clicks, replies, or reposts improve score.
- Relevance: Ads that align with user interests are rewarded.
- Freshness (Recency): Recently launched ads tend to perform better.
Competition
Your ad cost depends on how many advertisers are bidding for the same audience. If your bid slightly exceeds a competitor’s, you only pay just enough to beat them—often just $0.01 more.
Billable Actions
Each campaign has its own goal, and you only pay when that specific action is completed—whether it’s a website click, a video view, or a new follower.
Bidding Strategy
X allows advertisers to choose from three types of PPC strategies:
- Automatic Bidding: X adjusts your bids to get optimal results.
- Maximum Bidding: You set a cap for how much you’re willing to pay per action.
- Target Bidding: You define an average cost per action, and X optimizes toward that target.
Setting Budgets for Twitter (X) Ads
No matter your campaign size, X offers flexible budget options:
- Daily Budget: Limits how much can be spent each day on ads. You can set this at the campaign or ad group level.
- Campaign Budget: Sets a total limit for the entire campaign (also called a “lifetime budget”).
- Ad Group Budget: Lets you assign different budgets to each ad group for better control over your spend.
X Ad Targeting Options: Reaching the Right Audience
Beyond the standard demographic filters, X provides multiple targeting features to help refine who sees your ads:
Demographic Targeting
Choose users based on age, gender, language, location, and device type.
Keyword Targeting
Reach users based on the terms they search or tweet about. Match types include:
- Broad Match: Includes variations of your keyword.
- Phrase Match: Matches phrases in exact word order.
- Exact Match: Only targets the exact keyword phrase.
Custom Audiences and Remarketing
You can upload contact lists (emails, phone numbers, usernames) to retarget past customers. With remarketing, X tracks people who’ve visited your website or used your app and shows them relevant ads.
Behavior and Interest Targeting
Target users by lifestyle choices, interests (like fashion, fitness, or tech), or online behavior. You can even align campaigns with specific times when users are most active for maximum impact.
How To Advertise on Twitter (X): Step-by-Step Setup
X provides robust tools to help brands promote products, generate leads, or boost visibility. Here’s a quick walkthrough for launching your first campaign.
Step 1: Create an Ads Account
Visit the X Ads platform and log in using your existing profile. Complete the account setup by entering your business and payment details. This will unlock access to the ads dashboard.
Step 2: Choose a Campaign Type
Click Create Campaign and select between two modes:
- Simple Mode: Ideal for beginners—automated setup and optimization.
- Advanced Mode: More control over bidding, targeting, and settings.
Step 3: Set Your Objective
Depending on the selected mode, you’ll see various goal options:
- Simple Mode Objectives: Reach, Engagements, Traffic, and Keyword Targeting.
- Advanced Mode Objectives: Awareness, Consideration, or Conversion stages.
Choose the objective that best matches your marketing goals.
Step 4: Fill In Campaign Details
For Simple Mode, you’ll be taken directly to ad creation. For Advanced Mode, you’ll need to fill in more specifics:
- Campaign name
- Start and end dates
- Budget settings (daily and total)
Some objectives may require linking your app or website for conversion tracking.
Step 5: Create Ad Groups & Set Bids
In Advanced Mode, multiple ad groups can be created. Each group needs:
- Budget and schedule
- Placement selection (carousel, video, text ad, etc.)
- Demographic settings
- Device targeting
- Custom or lookalike audience lists
- Targeting filters (interests, keywords, follower lists)
Then choose one of the three bidding methods based on your strategy:
- Automatic Bid: Best for efficiency and reach.
- Maximum Bid: Best for strict cost control.
- Target Bid: Best for maintaining an average cost per result.
Step 6: Define Your Target Audience
Set the parameters of who should see your ad. Choose attributes like:
- Age
- Gender
- Language
- Location
- Device type
You can also use:
- Keywords
- Topics and hashtags
- Interests
- Follower lookalikes
Avoid overly narrow targeting to maintain reach. Test different audience sizes and refine over time for optimal performance.
Step 8: Upload Your Ad Creatives on X
Once your campaign details are in place, the next step is uploading your ad creative. Start by giving your ad a title and choosing where it should lead users—this could be your website, a product page, or an app download link.
As you fill out this information, a live preview on the right side of the screen shows how your ad will appear once it’s live. This helps you visualize your final post in real-time.
If everything looks good, click “Review Your Campaign” to continue.
Step 9: Finalize and Launch Your Campaign
If you’re using Simple mode, the review screen offers limited options for targeting and demographics. This is because Simple mode relies on X’s built-in optimization to streamline targeting and ad delivery.
In Advanced mode, you’ll see a comprehensive overview of your campaign. This includes all settings—from audience filters and bidding strategies to ad placements and allocated budget.
Carefully go through each section to ensure accuracy. Once you’re confident everything is set up correctly, hit “Launch Campaign” to activate your ads.
Step 10: Track Campaign Performance
Once your ads are running, head over to the X Ads Manager to track their performance. This is your central hub for creating, monitoring, and analyzing Twitter Advertising campaigns.
The dashboard provides insights into key metrics that reveal how your ads are performing. You can tailor the data view to track specific goals, such as engagement rates, impressions, cost per click (CPC), and return on ad spend (ROAS).
Use this data to fine-tune future campaigns and improve your ad strategy over time. Analyzing performance trends allows you to identify what’s working and where changes are needed to increase impact and lower acquisition costs.
8 Tips and Best Practices for Running Successful Twitter (X) Ads
To get the most value from your ad campaigns, your creatives and strategies need to resonate with your audience. Below are eight expert-backed tips to help you create better ads and achieve stronger performance:
Keep Your Ad Copy Concise
Users scroll quickly, so your ad copy needs to be sharp and direct. Even though X allows up to 280 characters, posts with fewer than 100 characters tend to perform better.
Pair brief messages with high-quality visuals such as videos or images. If you’re sharing a longer story, consider using the 🧵 emoji to signal a thread.
Use a Clear Call to Action (CTA)
Tell your audience exactly what you want them to do. Strong CTAs like “Shop now,” “Learn more,” or “Tell us your thoughts” give users a clear next step.
Effective CTAs are crucial for driving engagement, growing followers, and meeting other campaign goals.
Create Urgency to Drive Action
Encourage immediate responses by introducing time-sensitive elements to your campaigns. Use limited-time discounts, flash sales, or exclusive offers to inspire fast action.
For example, promoting a 24-hour sale or a deal for the first 20 signups can generate faster clicks and conversions.
Reduce Distractions in Your Ads
Avoid cluttering your post with multiple hashtags or mentions. Too many exit points can distract users from your main message.
Stick to one primary CTA—whether it’s a link to your site or app—to keep users focused and increase conversion rates.
Make Visuals Stand Out
Visual content is key. Roughly 97% of users engage more with ads that include compelling visuals. Avoid using generic or low-quality images. Instead, choose eye-catching graphics that reflect your brand identity.
Video ads, in particular, are highly effective. For best results:
- Keep videos under 15 seconds to maintain viewer attention.
- Use animation or movement in the opening seconds.
- Add subtitles or text to ensure your message is received even without sound.
- Feature your logo or branding in the first three seconds to boost recognition.
Begin With Auto Bidding
Your bid influences how often your ad is shown. Starting with automatic bidding helps ensure you stay competitive in the Twitter Advertising auction system.
After your campaign begins collecting data, monitor its performance. If an ad is doing well, consider increasing your bid to further improve results.
Test Various Creatives and Ad Formats
Experimenting with multiple versions of your ad can improve results. Run between 3 and 5 variations, such as:
- A video ad
- A carousel or image post
- A minimal text-only post
You can also try different tones—conversational, humorous, formal—and perform A/B testing to see what drives the highest engagement with your target audience.
Continuously Optimize Campaigns
Review your Twitter Advertising campaign data regularly. If engagement is low, consider adjusting your targeting, creative elements, or bid strategy. However, give any new changes 2–3 days to stabilize before making further tweaks.
If performance doesn’t improve after testing changes, pause the campaign and try a fresh approach. Ongoing monitoring is key to maximizing your campaign’s success and budget efficiency.
Final Thoughts
Twitter Advertising offers an incredible opportunity to reach the right people with tailored messaging and precise targeting. Whether you’re focused on awareness, conversions, or engagement, the platform provides tools and insights to meet your business goals.
To get the most out of your efforts, be prepared to test different strategies, adjust as needed, and analyze results closely. If managing campaigns becomes overwhelming, collaborating with digital advertising professionals can simplify the process and improve outcomes.
By mastering X’s ad platform and following best practices, you can build a strong presence, grow your brand, and drive real results through targeted, impactful campaigns.