Yep. It’s not just you. Twitter has increased the frequency of how it is showing promoted tweets lately. According to a Twitter spokesperson, the social media platform is experimenting with ad load. What this means is that Twitter is experimenting with changing the frequency users see advertisements and this is why you’ve been seeing a lot of ads in your Twitter timeline.
Well, they haven’t been subtle about it as users noticed.
Just me or has twitter been ramping up the promoted tweets of late?
— Ari Levy (@levynews) May 21, 2019
https://twitter.com/PatrickMillsaps/status/1132075073538547712
Is there a new algorithm, @twitter? I’m receiving a stack of targeted promoted tweets which look like they’ve been listening to my conversations!
— The Cathy Wilcox (@cathywilcox1) May 21, 2019
Hmm. Twitter appear to have increased the frequency of ads (aka promoted tweets). Now every 4-5 tweets. Is this just me? Not good. Hey @jack I’d pay to get rid of the ads.
— Matthew Cobb (@matthewcobb) May 29, 2019
Some users are now blocking the account holders of the promoted tweets.
Twitter: our promoted tweets will darken the skies!
Me: then I will block each account in the shade
— Patrick Claybon (@PatrickClaybon) May 22, 2019
https://twitter.com/half__ro/status/1133415236067889154
Anyone else notice a TON more promoted tweets right in your face when you open your @Twitter ? I’ve started blocking every single account that ends up in my feed this way. Doubt they’ll get the hint, but it certainly makes me feel better 😈
— M. Belanger (@sethanikeem) May 22, 2019
The best part about promoted tweets aside from being a gentle reminder that we live in a capitalist hellscape, is that people are basically paying twitter to get blocked
— Fae Kells (@schadenfae) May 24, 2019
Twitter works even harder
If you block enough advertisers on Twitter they scrape the barrel real hard for promoted tweets to serve up pic.twitter.com/SJqrfYzWGL
— David Milner (@DaveMilbo) May 28, 2019
“We are always running experiments with our ad experience, including with the various aspects of ad frequency and targeting,” Twitter confirmed said in a statement. The social media company, however, declined to say how big the experiment is.
Worth noting is that some prominent users on the platform still have access to an ad-free Twitter that the company introduced three years ago by shutting of ads to keep them engaged.
This new experiment might be Twitter’s way of increasing revenues with its shrinking user base.
Well, another thing also happened with these promoted tweets as they started getting out of hand with users getting promoted tweets that include links to fake news articles or are straight up spammy.
I got one of official team Trump on my timeline. Also not promoted. And @Twitter claims that two people I follow "liked" this tweet, but if you check their likes, it's not there. I've also seen tweets of other RW pols. It's very disconcerting. pic.twitter.com/tngr93aQ6l
— (((Claudia Miles 🇺🇦))) (@claudiamiles) May 27, 2019
The 4th different promoted QAnon tweet in my timeline in the last few days. Comes along with multiple promoted tweets by Franklin Graham. What the heck is going on, twitter? pic.twitter.com/9dVVmUYqKR
— Coliseum Sewage (@ColiseumSewage) May 30, 2019
Now Twitter is just messing with me.
Random promoted tweets from dudes with 6 followers. pic.twitter.com/F7ntbomj77
— The Hoarse Whisperer (@TheRealHoarse) May 22, 2019
https://twitter.com/Junkyard_Fool/status/1132651957846466560
Has everyone’s Twitter timeline filled up with garbage promoted tweets over the past few days?
— Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) May 24, 2019
I am never going to understand the algorithms behind twitter’s promoted tweets (and no, acupuncture is not going to do anything for your fertility) pic.twitter.com/dY8AzfI3sC
— stephy (@stephaniekays) May 27, 2019
Bro regular ass people really paying for promoted tweets that are just literally basic tweets and it’s bothering me. Like you really paying twitter so you can get more attention? Buddy you need help.
— Mixa (@MixaL8R) May 26, 2019
Twitter should have figured a smart way to do these ads
I don't have an issue with all the promoted tweets…Twitter is a business and they have to make money. I just think they should have been smarter about it. Ramped it up over time so it wouldn't be as noticeable.
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) May 22, 2019
If Twitter continues on this path, it is going to alienate and further push the few users it’s already struggling to monetize.
