We are in the countdown to the announcement of the purchase of Twitter by Elon Musk, which, if nothing strange happens, will happen this Friday. But despite the lack of formalization of the agreement, the tycoon already speaks as the owner of the social network, and has just sent a message to a sector that will be crucial for the future of the company: advertisers.
In a tweet, public “Dear Twitter advertisers”, and accompanied it with a message spread over three images. Possibly, The most politically correct letter we’ve seen from Elon Musk in a long time. In it, he explained his reasons and motivations for moving forward with the purchase of the platform, and his vision of the role that companies that promote advertising content play —or should play—.
“There has been a lot of speculation about why I bought Twitter and what I think about the ads. Most of it has been wrong,” the businessman posted. While in another excerpt from the message, he indicated: “I strongly believe that advertising, when done well, can enchant, entertain and inform you. It can show you a service, a product or a medical treatment that you did not know existed, but that is ideal for you. For this to happen, it is essential to show Twitter users that you are as relevant as possible to their needs. Low-relevance ads are spam, but highly-relevant ones are actually content!”
That Elon Musk has now come out to try to ingratiate himself with Twitter advertisers is not by chance. Recently, the advertising sector has expressed growing concern about the possible consequences that would bring the arrival of the tycoon to the social network. Especially after his statements about freedom of expression and content moderation policies.
In fact, The Wall Street Journal reports that some of the biggest brands currently advertising on Twitter have requested to remove all their ads from the platform if, for example, Donald Trump is given back control over his account.
Elon Musk needs Twitter advertisers, and he can’t hide it
Elon Musk’s message seeks to bring calm, and implies that content moderation will not be released to its own devices. “The reason I bought Twitter is because it is important for the future of civilization to have a common digital public space, where a wide variety of beliefs can be debated healthily, without relapse into violence. […] That said, Twitter obviously cannot become an anything-goes hellscape where anything can be said without consequence! In addition to adhering to local laws, our platform must be warm and welcoming for everyone, where you can choose your desired experience based on your preferences,” the letter said.
It remains to be seen if Elon Musk’s conciliatory stance pays off and convinces the advertising industry not to abandon Twitter out of fear. In addition, it is a reality that the social network needs ad revenue to sustain itself. And with the tremendous economic commitment that the businessman has assumed for this purchase, needs more than anyone to be profitable.
Elon Musk assures that he wants Twitter to be the most respected advertising platform in the world, and for this he needs the heavyweights of the sector. “Let’s build something extraordinary together”the tycoon urged.