# 65% of Marketers Say Twitter Has Become Risky for Their Brand | Capterra > Marketers and advertisers believe hate speech and misinformation will get worse on Twitter. Find out what other social media alternatives they are exploring. Source: https://www.capterra.com/resources/twitter-advertising --- Small Business Digital MarketingMarketing # 65% of Marketers Say Twitter Has Become Risky for Their Brand and Are Looking at Other Ad Platforms By Meghan Bazaman Meghan Bazaman Meghan Bazaman is a senior analyst at Capterra, covering all the latest trends, issues, and developments in marketing technology. With more than a decade of ... [See bio & all articles](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/mbazaman/) Published December 12, 2022 10 min read ## Companies are looking for Twitter alternatives. Where will they go? Marketers and advertisers are scrambling to keep up with a recent surge of changes at Twitter after Elon Musk’s recent takeover. Many big brands and advertisers are having to rethink their social media marketing plans. According to Capterra’s recent survey\[[\*](#methodology)\], 46% of marketers or advertisers that use Twitter have paused or have plans to pause ad campaigns. Despite what you might think about Musk’s takeover, all the upheaval raises some interesting questions for social media marketers and advertisers. For starters, what verification and content moderation policies are truly important? And where do marketing and advertising professionals see the social media landscape heading? To learn first-hand how businesses are responding to recent changes at Twitter, Capterra surveyed 300 U.S. marketing and advertising professionals from November 17 through November 29, 2022 about their attitudes surrounding verification status, social media advertising spending, and more. Continue reading to explore how companies are using Twitter right now and what their plans are for the future to help inform your next social media move. Key findings: - **The check mark matters to brands:** 60% of verified companies say it would hurt their business to lose verification on Twitter. - **Verification is important, but price is a sticking point:** A majority of companies (51%) say that verification is very important for their social media accounts. Yet 53% of those with plans to get verified on Twitter say they are unlikely to pay $7.99 a month for it. Marketers and advertisers are more willing to pay for better promotion of content (58%), better user targeting (56%), and security features (43%) over verification (41%). - **Twitter ads are high risk right now:** Nearly 2 out of 3 current Twitter advertisers say advertising on the platform is risky for their brand right now. Yet among them, nearly a third (31%) are opting to monitor the site rather than pause or suspend current ad campaigns. - **If Twitter fails, marketers will look to advertise with its competitors:** About 3 in 4 respondents believe marketers will move to other top social media platforms such as Instagram (76%), Facebook (75%), and TikTok (60%) if Twitter shuts down. - **Marketers and advertisers want to hedge their bets**: They want their companies to look for flexible advertising or media buying arrangements (50%) and invest more heavily in other digital media channels (50%) while the situation at Twitter continues to evolve. ## Companies value Twitter verification, but its status is in limbo Twitter continues to waver on whether or not to charge a monthly subscription fee for account verification. Previously, the platform offered users blue check-mark verification[\[1\]](#sources) free of charge. This entailed Twitter independently verifying notable, active, and authentic accounts of public interest. Now, the blue check mark may mean two different things: Either the account was verified under Twitter’s previous verification criteria or the account has an active subscription to Twitter Blue (which was made available in the U.S. and other select countries on November 9, 2022 and paused shortly after)[\[2\]](#sources). Twitter Blue was recently relaunched on December 12, 2022. Our respondents (a majority, 81%, of whom were verified using Twitter’s legacy system) indicate that verification on Twitter is important to them and their companies: - **Signals trust and credibility**—Sixty-three percent of marketers and advertisers say Twitter is one of their top professional channels. - **Helps companies stand out**—Among advertisers and marketers using Twitter, 73% say their company has some form of verification check mark, professional category label, or badge. Of these respondents, 69% have the familiar blue check mark verification. Marketers and advertisers are questioning the future status of their verified accounts as Twitter’s final verification system remains uncertain. For example, one in three (30%) verified account holders believe they will lose their verification over the next few months or aren’t sure whether or not they will continue to remain verified. Twitter marketers and advertisers are concerned about the impact losing verification would have on achieving their marketing goals and their brands. ### While marketers and advertisers value verification, many are unlikely to pay for a subscription Despite the importance of verification, more than half (53%) of respondents say they are not at all or not very likely to pay for it on Twitter for $7.99 a month. When asked what requirements they would expect to see if paying for account verification on Twitter, 49% of respondents said ID verification (e.g., driver’s license, phone or utility bill, etc.). A majority (51%) also expect requirements for email and phone number confirmation. ### Which features would marketers and advertisers pay for? The premium social media features marketers and advertisers are most enthusiastic about are better promotion of content, better targeting, and security or safety. They are even more willing to pay for these features than account verification: ## Where do advertisers and marketers think Twitter is heading? Over the last few weeks, there have been many concerning developments at Twitter including mass firings and resignations, office closures, account impersonations, and an influx of hate speech on the once relatively stable social media platform[\[3\]](#sources). These changes have left marketers and advertisers spinning as they are tasked with updating their strategies in real-time and without solid guidance. Despite the fluctuations, three in five marketers and advertisers believe that Twitter is heading in an overall positive direction under Musk’s new ownership. Yet, they have mixed reactions on charging a monthly fee for verification. When asked whether or not charging for verification would make Twitter a better or worse place for marketers and advertisers, only 53% indicate that charging would make outcomes better. Nearly one in four (38%) respondents believe that hate speech will get worse on Twitter over the next six months. Another 35% are concerned that misinformation will get worse within the same timeframe. ### Marketers and advertisers want stricter content moderation on Twitter but have mixed reactions to permanent bans Rapid changes to Twitter’s policies and the implementation of those policies could put off companies and users concerned about the platform’s content moderation. Since the takeover there has been a rise in hate speech[\[3\]](#sources). An influx of hostile content on the platform could lead Twitter users to flee. And you can’t deliver a message without an audience. According to our research, 68% of marketers and advertisers say they are very concerned about Twitter users leaving Twitter. Nearly three in four (72%) are very concerned about reduced content moderation on the platform while 65% expect moderation on the platform will get worse or stay the same over the next six months. Nonetheless, marketers and advertisers are split on whether or not the platform should permanently ban accounts: 50% are in favor while 50% disapprove. ## Advertising on Twitter is risky right now; many are standing by Social media platforms like Twitter largely rely on ad dollars to stay in business. This raises an issue when 68% of marketers and advertisers believe that content on social media has grown increasingly hostile over the last year. Although Musk has made claims[\[4\]](#sources) that Twitter will remain a safe place, many high profile advertisers like Merck, Chipotle, and General Motors have paused ad spending[\[5\]](#sources) on the site. The here and now Right now, 65% of Twitter advertisers say that advertising on the platform is risky for their brand or company. Yet among this group, nearly a third (31%) are opting to monitor the site rather than pause or suspend ad campaigns. More than three quarters (77%) have yet to pause or suspend their advertising campaigns, indicating that their companies are largely taking a wait-and-see approach. ### Future thinking Our research finds that 60% of respondents currently advertising on Twitter are planning to significantly or slightly increase advertising spend on Twitter in the near-term (within the next six months). Similarly, 61% say their company plans to increase their overall social media spending within the same timeframe: This doesn’t come as a huge surprise. In the final months of the year, advertisers typically increase spending in an attempt to capture the holiday shopping uptick. Twitter advertisers report that the top three ad types they are currently running are images ads (67%), video ads (65%), and text ads (53%). ## Don’t get too comfortable with your social media advertising investments To provide you with guidance on how and where to allocate your budget, we asked marketers and advertisers where they think their company should focus its overall social media advertising investments over the next six months. Survey respondents put the most onus on looking for flexible advertising or media buying arrangements (50%) and investing more heavily in other digital media channels like email or video (50%). Many (48%) are also willing to experiment with emerging social media platforms like Mastodon or Bluesky. When we asked respondents where they think marketers and advertisers should go if Twitter were to shut down, about three in four believe they should move to top social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Another 60% believe that marketers will go to TikTok, which is expected to more than double in ad revenue compared to last year[\[6\]](#sources). That’s not to say it won’t be an uphill battle for future social media advertising investments. A majority of marketers and advertisers agree that paid advertising on social media has become more expensive (77%), less effective, and less valuable (57%) over the last year. Some speculate that Apple’s iOS upgrade[\[7\]](#sources) (that forced apps like Facebook and Instagram to ask users for permission to track their data) is contributing to the overall decline of ad effectiveness. ## 3 tips for navigating uncertainty at Twitter How can you get the most from your advertising budget while the social media landscape continues to change? Here are three tips: **#1. Diversify your social media investments.** Diversifying social media investments could be an attractive option for your company in order to provide a safety net, remain flexible, and stay ahead of future disruptions. Rest assured you don’t have to completely abandon social networks. As noted earlier in this report, many marketers and advertisers will go to other social media platforms or invest in various digital channels like email or video. Luckily, there are many alternatives to consider. **#2. Consider platforms that offer the best promotion and targeting for your brand.** It’s less about who owns a social media platform and more about the value and effectiveness the platform can offer your company. While you might be comfortable or familiar with a particular social media platform, you must frequently evaluate whether or not it remains relevant, useful, and effective for your company. You can start by testing different options to find out what works best for you and your target audience. Also, be sure to weigh the pros and cons (like verification costs, content moderation, etc.) of each platform. **#3. Be cautious about content moderation.** Marketers and advertisers need to ensure they place ads in trusted environments that align with their brand or company values. Additionally, consumer trust of a medium has become an important consideration for advertisers. If your ad appears somewhere consumers can’t trust, why should they trust your message? Therefore, it’s wise to frequently monitor social media platforms and be ready to pause or suspend ad campaigns when a platform no longer measures up to your corporate values. If you like this report, check out these additional marketing resources: - [How Marketers Manage the Blurred Lines of Personal and Company Social Media Accounts](https://www.capterra.com/resources/marketer-social-media-account-management/) - [Empathy Can Boost Holiday Sales: 81% of Consumers Are Inspired to Buy After Seeing Holiday Opt-Out Emails](https://www.capterra.com/resources/holiday-email-marketing-opt-out/)  - [2023 State of Marketing Software Adoption Report: Emerging Tech Trends to Watch in 2023](https://www.capterra.com/resources/technology-trends-among-marketing-professionals/) * * * **Methodology** \*Capterra's 2022 Twitter Verification Survey was conducted in November 2022 among 300 U.S. respondents to explore how marketers and advertisers have used Twitter and responded to updates on the platform since new company ownership. Respondents were screened to have marketing, advertising, communications or public relations job functions and must work at businesses currently using Twitter for marketing or advertising purposes. Sources 1. [Legacy Verification Policy](https://help.twitter.com/en/managing-your-account/legacy-verification-policy), Twitter 2. [About Twitter Blue](https://help.twitter.com/en/using-twitter/twitter-blue), Twitter 3. [Racist Tweets Quickly Surface after Must Closes Twitter Deal](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/10/28/musk-twitter-racist-posts/), The Washington Post 4. [Dear Twitter Advertisers](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1585619322239561728), Elon Musk 5. [Half of Twitter’s Top Advertisers Have Left the Platform Since Elon Musk’s Takeover](https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2022/11/28/twitter-loses-advertisers-after-elon-musk/10790189002/), USA Today 6. [TikTok Builds Itself Into an Ads Juggernaut](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/14/technology/tiktok-ads-social-media.html?), The New York Times 7. [Apple’s Privacy Change Is Hitting Tech and E-Commerce Companies. Here’s Why.](https://www.wsj.com/articles/apples-privacy-change-is-hitting-tech-and-e-commerce-companies-11634901357?mod=article_inline), The Wall Street Journal * * * ### Was this article helpful? * * * ## About the Author [### Meghan Bazaman](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/mbazaman/) Meghan Bazaman is a senior analyst at Capterra, covering all the latest trends, issues, and developments in marketing technology. With more than a decade of experience conducting qualitative and quantitative research, her work has been featured in publications such as Ad Age, MediaPost, and Martech Zone. 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