Is it still worth your time, effort, and marketing budget, on Twitter?

Stephen Fry has bailed, mass layoffs have happened, and the public are seeing erratic leadership. Of course, if you’ve seen any of the news headlines, you’ll know it can only be Twitter. What has he been changing, what are the results of those changes, and crucially, what does it mean for your organization?

What is Elon Musk changing?

Under Elon Musk’s new leadership, Twitter rolled out a new verification, a blue tick to anyone willing to pay the $8. TechCrunch reported that “In the short time he has been at the helm of the platform he has promised things like a new verification system, a revamped subscription program and better creator monetization.”. After only having that active for 48 hours, he has closed the new blue tick, after mass issues with impersonations, and the stock market fallout where companies like Eli Lilly, lost billions.

In terms of the verification mark, the initial general consensus seemed to be that although it could be seen as a leveler for those using the platform, in actual fact, it will nullify the need for the tick, as you can now buy one. The tick used to prevent well-known users from being impersonated, which can no longer happen if anyone can be purchase one. As Forbes said this week, “At issue is the fact that if anyone can buy the blue checkmark, it could lose its meaning or significance entirely.” And that seems to have played out in the past 24 hours.

The Verge also suggested that the changes around the checkmark would actually make Twitter a loss, and now some users are reporting a secondary checkmark on the platform. All in all, a confusing circumstance that doesn’t seem to have had a positive reception. And now it has been closed for the foreseeable, while Elon Musk begins to speculate about making Twitter a bank to avoid bankruptcy.

On the surface, it might sound promising, but having sacked half of the Twitter team, (and then some of those fired staff approached to come back) it seems these changes are coming top down, with not much thought to how that can happen, nor who can implement the changes. Not to mention, the resignation of key executives like the head of trust and safety. So it begs the question, who is there to oversee that Twitter is complying with their consent decree and international data security regulations?

There is word that you will also be able to write longer form content on Twitter, and there will be more flexibility with videos. For many, a relaxation in the word count will be a welcome change! However, what made the Twitter experience was being able to distill your point into short-form copy- short, snappy opinions. Otherwise, it will begin to feel more like Facebook.

Lastly, another significant change Musk is considering is putting all of Twitter behind a paywall. What this might look like is currently unknown, but this could be a huge turn-off for those who use the platform, who might be in your audience, but are not business owners themselves.

What have been the results of those changes?

There have been key figures like Stephen Fry and actress Tea Leoni saying completely goodbye to Twitter, as well as an increase in sign-ups to other Twitter alternatives.

You may have seen the ‘new’ platform Mastadon getting talked about, but in fact, it has been around for the last 6 years. The day that Elon Musk took over the Twitter reins, Mastodon gained 70,000 new users. That number is now much higher.

Mastodon works slightly differently from Twitter, in that it is decentralized. It consists of different servers, that host different types of accounts. But each account can interact with any account from any server. It remains to be seen whether this is a viable option if you plan to leave Twitter, but what is clear, is that things in social media are shifting at a pace, and it seems the opportune time to re-evaluate your current strategy.

Interestingly, Jack Dorsey, Twitter co-founder and former CEO of Twitter, is developing ‘BlueSky’. Reportedly not to compete with Twitter, but should be noted that it too will be a decentralized social protocol. Basically a more open way of being social online, without relying on big corporations. A glimpse of what is to come perhaps?

Should you remain on the platform?

Many advertisers have paused spending on the platform, and with many users leaving, it is wise for your brand to ask the question, ‘should we remain on Twitter?’

Your wider social media strategy should always be in review, and when you next look at it, considering Twitter as a viable option should be at the top of that discussion.

In my opinion, there is no need to leave the platform just yet. Despite advertisers pausing budgets, and many users leaving, there is still a very active community left on the platform that could be your target audience. You can still get valuable results from being a part of those conversations on Twitter, and for time being, the user interface and experience hasn’t really changed. However, I would recommend that if you have any credit cards linked to the account, to delete that sensitive data.

In terms of your content strategy, your content won’t need to initially change either. For my clients, we have evergreen content posting automatically on Twitter using Metricool, and that content still works with the way Twitter is set up. You might also consider downloading all your Tweet history so that you can repurpose it to another platform, just in case!

However, what you will need to do is keep an eye on Twitter updates so that if the interface changes, your tactics can be updated too. (Use the buttons above to follow any of my social channels to keep up to date with Twitter strategy and changes.)

You also need to ask yourself, is it profitable for your brand to join Mastodon or another alternative? In my opinion, it can’t hurt to set up an account and see the lay of the land. Maybe it could work for your company, or maybe it will be a dud. Either way, testing out a new outlet for your company is worthwhile, and you won’t know for sure if your audience is there until you try it out. Being decentralized, that data is harder to find. However, this is a good indicator to consider it as an option.

Source: the original server data, operated by the mastodon ggmbh non-profit https://www.similarweb.com/website/mastodon.social/#traffic

In summary

Meta is losing share value, users are leaving Twitter, and new to us platforms are emerging, it is clear social media is always changing. Especially now. Social is one of the faster-paced industries, and your company or marketing team will need to always be analyzing, and always keeping on top of best practices. It is a lot of work, but it is necessary. Tactics can become outdated so quickly.

It is also worth noting, that social media is also only ONE part of your marketing plan. It should also include other facets like:

🟡 SEO-driven work like blogs or articles

🟡 PR and publication outreach

🟡 Email marketing

🟡 Referral marketing

🟡 Networking

Your channels, whether Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn, are rented ground, you cannot rely on them solely as a way to generate traffic and leads. You can lose your account at any time, and along with it, your hard-earned audience. So diversifying from only one platform, or only social media marketing, is key to cultivating your audience, and use those tools as best you can.

So, leave Twitter? No, not yet at least.

Change your strategy or tactics? Not yet, but do keep an eye on trends and what changes are coming. I expect there will be plenty more before Twitter settles down!

And lastly, look for other options? Perhaps. Do an analysis of your social usage, see how your presence is spread and on what channels, and dig deep into why you are using each platform, and see if you have gaps that need to be filled. Only by looking at that data can you begin to develop a more stable social approach for your company.