X Tests Ads That Read Your Mind!

X is currently testing an innovative ad format designed to integrate recommendations seamlessly beneath posts that reference specific companies or their products. This experimental feature was observed in Europe, where a user's post about Starlink's effective service in Portugal was followed by a direct recommendation to 'Get Starlink.' Clicking this recommendation leads users to Starlink's official website.

Nikita Bier, X's head of product, confirmed the test, stating the intention is to "make an ad product that isn't an ad." While not visible to all users, the placeholder for these ads is present. Comments from users in test regions indicate awareness of the new feature, with one asking if a "Starlink button" was recently added.

This initiative follows X's recent rollout of "Paid Partnership" labels for creators, aimed at complying with advertising regulations. By potentially combining these labels with embedded advertiser links, X could enhance its appeal to marketers. Such strategies aim to boost creator content on the platform, enabling X to better rival established social media giants like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok in attracting content creators.

X has a history of pursuing creator content, having introduced various creator products like viral content payouts, ad-revenue sharing, and creator subscriptions. The platform also recently revamped its Creator Subscriptions offering with new features, including the monetization of individual threads. Additionally, the integrated chatbot Grok can now process X's long-form content known as Articles, although creators often prefer external platforms for lengthy text.