Elon Musk had an hour-long Q & A on Twitter Space fielding questions on Advertising & The Future. 

8 important insights for brands from Elon Musk Q & A:

1. Accountability vs free for all He stated

“If things go wrong, it is my fault. The buck stops with me.” If we do things people don’t like, advertisers and users will leave and the system will fail.

Thoughts: This is 100% correct. Good to see that in the midst of what might seem like chaos, this is not lost on the Chief Tweet.

2. Native vs Disruptive Ads

The goal is to make ads become useful, relevant and wanted content.

Thoughts: If your brand is considering using Twitter more, invest in understanding the platform and create ads that can pass for content.

3. Buying Power vs Dragging Power

Twitter wants to simplify social commerce. The goal is 1-click checkout. Brands will also pay to get a blue tick.

Thoughts: Prepare your brand. The $8/month blue tick could be a way to measure buying power not just the dragging power of Twitter users.

4. Visible vs Hiding Brands

Elon advises that brands and C-level executes should tweet more, citing how it has helped him and Tesla win on social.

Thoughts: If your brand is planning to go all out on Twitter, ensure you are ready for anything the platform throws at you.

5. Clarity vs Confusion

Elon says the best way to find out and understand what is going on is to continue using Twitter.

Thoughts: I’ll add another alternative – learn from others who are using the platform.

6. Good vs Bad

Twitter’s larger goal is to do things that serve the greater interest of civilisation and have Twitter ultimately be a force for that.

Thoughts: The jury’s still out on this.

7. Real vs Fake Identities

Impersonation and trickery will be strictly prohibited. Accounts that attempt to impersonate brands will be suspended.

Thoughts: This will be a defining factor in Twitter’s success or failure going forward. Some people who might have done this as a joke have faced the penalty already, but there many more who are getting away with it.

8. Brand Safety vs Brand Suitability

“I don’t think having hate speech next to an Ad is great.” Brand safety and the relevancy of ads will be a priority.

Thoughts: Brands really struggle with brand safety and suitability on Twitter. Elon Musk would have to go the extra mile to win the confidence of advertisers.

What’s your take on using Twitter to grow your brand today?

Check out and share my Twitter Thread breaking this down