Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk Podcast.
This is a show where we discuss the critical Crossroads, The
Shape, SpaceX, Tesla X, The Boring Company, and Neuralink,
and I'm your host, Will Walden. If you want uninterrupted
episodes of the Elon Musk podcast, please go to
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show, notes. Mr. Beast, who's a massive
YouTube, recently uploaded a video directly to X, Elon Musk's
social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Now this is a huge move since Mr. Beast is primarily known for
his YouTube presence. However, this upload has sparked
controversy as users of X reported that Mister Beast video
is appearing in their feeds as an unlabeled ad multiple times a
day. Now this episode will unravel
the layers of this issue and its implications for the platform
and digital advertising norms. So users have noticed that
Mister Beast's video lacks the typical indicators of an
advertisement on X, such as the time stamp or a quote ad label.
This absence has led to confusion and questions about
the transparency of X's advertising practices.
And the issue highlights a broader concern regarding the
labeling and identification of sponsored content on social
media platforms. Mr. Beast, whose real name is
Jimmy Donaldson, expressed curiosity about the potential ad
revenue from X. His decision to upload the video
on X was framed as a kind of a test to explore new revenue
streams, diverging from his usual YouTube focus strategy.
Now the lack of clear labeling on Mr. Beast's video post has
raised eyebrows. Some users have shared their
experiences, noting the repeated appearance of the video in their
feeds without the usual ad identifiers.
The situation aligns with reports of X displaying
unlabeled ads since September of last year, a development that
has caught the attention of ad tech watchdogs and regulators.
Now the organization Quote Check My Ads filed A complaint with
the FTC highlighting concerns about X's transparency with ad
labeling. This points to increasing
scrutiny over how social media platforms manage and disclose
advertising content, which is a key issue in the digital
advertising industry. An employee of X, in a
discussion with Ryan Broderick of the Garage Day newsletter,
suggested that the presence of a pre roll video ad before Mr.
Beast's video serves as sufficient disclosure.
However, this explanation has been met with skepticism as it
conflates different types of advertisements, potentially
muddying the waters of advertising transparency.
Now, intriguingly, older videos on the X app show Mr. Beast's
posts with a promoted label indicating it's an ad.
This inconsistency raises questions about how X's
advertising mechanisms function and how they're perceived by
different segments of its user base.
The situation suggests that X might be artificially boosting
Mr. Beast's video views through these unlabeled ads.
This action, intentional or not, affects the platform's
credibility and the authenticity of content.
Reach and Elon Musk's strategy for X highly emphasizes video
content. The platform's recent signings
of high profile figures for exclusive video deals under
score this focus, and Musk's direct engagement with creators
like Mr. Beast reveals his active role in shaping the
platform's content landscape. But despite initial reluctance
setting production costs and fair compensation concerns, Mr.
Beast was persuaded by Elon to experiment with uploading
content on X. This could signal a significant
shift in content distribution strategies for high profile
creators like Mr. Beast. Now, if Mr. Beast's venture on X
proves financially successful, it can mark a major win from us,
potentially attracting more top creators to the platform and
bolstering its multimedia strategy.
And there's a lack of clarity around how X counts views on his
platforms, especially after the removal of the public video view
count feature. This obscurity makes it
challenging to gauge the true reach and engagement of video
content on X. Mr. BS has engaged with his
followers in guessing the potential earnings from X's ad
revenue share program. However, the platform's complex
monetization rules, which favor certain types of users and
content, make it difficult to predict.
The actual learnings and reports suggest that X's creator
monetization program is somewhat arbitrary, lacking a transparent
and predictable payment structure.
This unpredictability contrasts sharply with more established
platforms like YouTube, where views are more directly
correlated with earnings. Now, Elon Musk's promotion of
Mr. Beast's video to his millions of followers adds
another layer to the narrative, indicating his personal
involvement in content creation and curation and promotion on X,
possibly giving Mr. Beast's video millions of views of a
boost. This outcome will not only
reveal the platform's potential for content creators, but also
will shed some light on its advertising and monetization
strategies and his platforms like X.
The need for transparency and fair practices become
increasingly crucial. Whether X's approach with Mr.
B's video marks a strategic shift or a one off experiment
remains to be seen. Hey, thank you so much for
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