Twitter tests (almost) ad-free experience for VIP users
Twitter has dramatically reduced the number of ads it serves to its “most prominent and active users”, according to sources familiar with the matter.
In a bid to get some of its VIP users to stay engaged with the service, the platform is creating an almost ad-free timeline, states Re/code.
The social network has apparently been testing the feature since chief executive Jack Dorsey was appointed in September, and the users selected for the scheme don’t necessarily need to be A-listers.
The selection process is said to take into account a range of criteria, including post count and engagement – though it isn’t clear whether the feature is only available to verified users.
Though the alleged change is intended to hold on to the site’s most important influencers, the fact that Twitter is toying with hiding ads may come as a surprise to some given the challenges it has faced over the past few months, including slow user growth and senior departures.
Speaking to The Drum, a Twitter spokesperson neither confirmed nor denied the move, commenting: “We’re constantly looking at constraints and adjustments to optimise which ads are shown and how often.”
Earlier today (Tuesday 26 January), Twitter confirmed that American Express' Leslie Berland has been appointed as its chief marketing officer.