X has added another element to help creators improve engagement with their paying subscribers, with creators now able to switch on DMs for subscribers only, potentially facilitating deeper engagement.

As you can see in this example, creators with subscriptions turned on can now activate a toggle to enable subscribers to send them direct messages in the app, regardless of any of their other DM settings.

X updated the default setting for DMs back in July, in order to combat message spam, which means that only your followers or verified users can send you DMs. Non-contacts and non-paying users can’t send random users messages in the app, though you can still make your DMs open to all, if you choose. They’re just not open by default, which could be why you’re seeing fewer messages in the app.

This new element is more specifically aligned with facilitating engagement with your paying audience, by giving them more opportunity to get in touch, and giving you more ways to deepen those connections.

In addition to this, X is also developing a new tag for subscribers' DMs in your inbox, so that you can pick them out and prioritize them in-stream.

It’s another way for X to encourage more creator funding, in addition to its ad revenue share program, which it hopes will get more creators posting original content to X exclusively, keeping that engagement within its evolving creator ecosystem.

It remains to be seen if X will be able to compete with other platforms on this front, but it’s another cog in Elon Musk’s broader plan to make X the key app for all types of interactions and transactions.