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X the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has set an impressive record for its highest monthly usage to date – according to Elon Musk.
The result is remarkable given the recent challenges resulting from its change of ownership. Since tech mogul Elon Musk took over 6 months ago, X has experienced a significant decline in advertising revenue, lost 2/3 of its global staff and undertaken a sudden and unplanned rebranding.
Algorithm alterations, geared towards improved user interactions and content relevancy, have also sparked some controversy.
The surge in users is also a surprise given the launch of a major rival, Meta’s new platform called Threads, which clock up over 100 million users in a week, thanks mostly to its integration with Instagram.
While Threads usage has declined considerably, there’s no doubt that it has created a dynamic and fiercely competitive landscape for ‘micro-blogging’ platforms.
There are some who believe X's sudden growth is unsustainable, particularly those with concerns about privacy and data security on the platform. X's algorithm changes, while potentially improving engagement, can lead to ‘echo chambers’ where users only see content that aligns to their usage and beliefs (whether true or not).
Despite these views, growth in X’s users is an important lesson for social media marketers. It shows that X is not a dwindling platform and that there’s a vast, engaged audience ripe for targeted advertising and promotional campaigns.
And more importantly, it’s important to look at the numbers and avoid the negative headlines. Whilst most of the commentary on Musk’s acquisition of X has been sour, the user growth appears to support the old adage that ‘any press is good press’.
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