First a bit of social media history. Launched in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone and Evan Williams (a cohort of tech entrepreneurs, software programmers and philanthropists) Twitter was originally conceived under a shorter name Twittr, following a similar format to the online photo file platform Flickr. When the “Twitter” domain came up for sale - they bought it. And Twittr became Twitter.
The platform immediately became a hugely popular voice for the 21st century global village, empowering everyone from heads of state, royalty and high profile celebrities to people from all walks of life to cast their opinions and share an eclectic range of content.
Democratic in its intention, Twitter was a revolutionary digital medium enabling all of us to engage across continents and cultures in a crisp and succinct way, tagging other Twitter users, businesses and organisations with our daily musings. There was no limit to the number of tweets we could make and the platform generally had an all-inclusive liberal minded feel.
The power and effectiveness of Twitter was its simplicity. Unlike Facebook, its 240 character limit demanded a concentration of the mind, clarity of thought and a judicious use of visual content. In its original format Tweeters had an even more economic limit of just 140 characters.
When Twitter went public in 2013 it had 200 million users
Aside from a massive culture change within the business, its rebranding to ‘X’ seemed to signify a change in editorial tone. Twitter, in its previous incarnation, took its content moderation seriously but this went by the wayside with staff culls under its new owner. Now, under Musk’s tenure the platform's algorithms appear to have skewed streaming towards a stronger political bias - one that many of its users have found sits awkwardly with their beliefs and values.
As a major supporter of Donald Trump, and an active promoter of his recent presidential campaign, Musk has been anything but discreet about his political allegiances. Twitter, by comparison, always aimed to be politically neutral. Back in the summer, in the wake of the Southport riots Elon Musk was heavily criticised for spreading misinformation, with Science and Tech Secretary Peter Kyle declaring that Musk is accountable to no-one.
Then in November 2024, The Guardian finally declared its hand on what it felt towards a platform which, hitherto, it had championed, and announced it could no longer use it as a digital voice. In a major editorial piece it said that the platform’s coverage of the US election had crystallised its longstanding concerns about its content.
Other significant names joining the X departure lounge include the non profit US broadcaster National Public Radio; PBS, another US broadcaster; the Berlin Film Festival; North Wales Police, fashion brand Balenciaga; 3M; and the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. Meanwhile, Disney, Apple, IBM, Paramount and Comcast have all paused advertising on the platform. And this looks just like the start.
Indeed, according to internet analysers Simillarweb, a record 115,000 users pressed the delete button on X on the day Trump was announced as US election winner. And many more have left since.
Over 1m users migrate from Twitter to BlueSky
So where is everyone going next? As the digital universe continues to prove, movement at the speed of light is par for the course with any new arrival, and already the new Bluesky platform is attracting a massive new audience in the millions.
Positioning itself with the virtuous claim “social media as it should be”, Bluesky is predominantly owned by CEO Jay Graber. His background in cryptocurrency and blockchain technology brings with it all the tech entrepreneur skills that made Twitter the success that it was. Currently (Nov 29) BlueSky has around 23m users - small fry compared to X - but these are early days.
But, importantly, it's arguably the calibre of users that it’s attracting that is now making it the next “flock to” social media platform.
There’s comfort in being surrounded by like-minded people
This recent article by Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff explains why she made the move to Bluesky, arguing that the global town square ideal of Twitter is probably no longer a possibility, and that perhaps segregated social media platforms (such as Blue Sky) is the way forward - creating safer spaces for the sharing of opinions.
As she explains:
Bluesky has learned from its predecessors, starting out invite only and growing slowly; it has strong social norms, a culture of blocking rather than feeding attention-seeking trolls, and features that nudge users away from aggressive “quote tweet” pile-ons.
Gaby Hinsliff,
LinkedIn, Threads, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok - billions of users can’t be wrong? Surely.
And of course, if you decide to drop X there’s still a strong lineup of social media platforms that can provide you with a voice and a platform to reach your relevant target audience. LinkedIn now has a global audience of 1bn users, while the visually-driven Instagram attracts over 500 million daily active users and TikTok is pulling in around 1.5 billion.
Threads, established by META founder Mark Zuckerberg, as a direct competitor to X, now has 200 million users, thanks in part to it being linked via Instagram. META-owned Facebook remains the world’s most used social media platform with 3 billion users.
So, whatever platform you use, there’s clearly a willing and active audience awaiting your content and opinions. And, as with any social media platform, none come with any guarantees of offering a toxic free experience. But the key skill here (and one we help our clients with) is deploying the relevant content, for the right audience on the right platform at the right time. The key word here is “relevant”.
Here’s a quick strategic overview of which platform might be best for your audience and content:
LinkedIn: Think of it as a professional version of Facebook, focused on workplace content but without META ownership. It's the premier platform for B2B content, showcasing your people, products, services, events, and thought leadership. This is the space to share knowledge, establish authority, and engage with other professionals through informed content.
Facebook: A cornerstone for B2C interactions, Facebook excels in community-focused and family-oriented content. It's often the platform where many users first engage with social media, making it a solid choice for relatable, community-based storytelling.
Instagram: Perfect for visually engaging content, bolstered by video capabilities (Reels) that were introduced as a counter to TikTok’s popularity. This platform thrives on aesthetics and lifestyle, and any post shared here can now sync with Threads for extended reach.
TikTok: The fresh face in the social space, TikTok is ideal for informal, engaging content. Use it for product demos, behind-the-scenes peeks, and showcasing a fun side of your brand. Additionally, TikTok is becoming a significant tool for social search, where users seek out product reviews, tips, and trends. It’s all about quick, relatable moments that resonate with audiences seeking authentic and informative interactions.
For many companies and individuals X no longer aligns with their values
But one final word on X. While it’s difficult not to make a judgement devoid of politics, our position on this particular platform aligns similarly with that of The Guardian, and many other companies and organisations who have now left the platform for the very simple reason that it no longer aligns with our values.
And values are an important part of every organisation. It’s part of your brand, your corporate personality and your integrity. Sadly, X is not the social media platform that Twitter was in its original format.
For this reason, we too have removed ourselves from X. And we’d advise our clients to follow suit, if you can.
Whether you want to head over to Bluesky, the decision is up to you. Like us, you might want to do some due diligence around the platform and evaluate other users’ experience, before making the leap. But we’re not missing X/Twitter and it won’t be missing us.
As Gaby Hinsliff correctly says, “starting on a new social media platform is “the triumph of hope over experience”. But we think Bluesky is certainly worth checking out, not least because of its intention “social media as it should be”.
Need any help on your social media campaigns and strategy? Get in touch for a chat.
