Since Elon Musk’s high-profile takeover of Twitter, now X, in 2022, many have argued that it sounded the death knell of this popular social media platform. From its controversial renaming to ‘X’ and the introduction of paid-for ‘blue ticks’, it has never been far from the spotlight. However, the latest controversy appears to have been the final straw for the once loyal users of the platform. With Musk refusing to sanction far-right views and disinformation, X has become unpalatable for many.

John Hyde recently said in an article that the Twitter exodus is upon us and that recent events have “proved too much for many lawyers who were previously regular posters on the site, now officially branded X”. Over the past week we have witnessed many high-profile legal commentators and organisations migrate to BlueSky, a platform that looks and feels like the Twitter of old.

So, what does the demise of X mean for businesses?

Why are people and businesses leaving X?

Accusations of Misinformation and Incitement

The violent disorder and rioting in the UK in August 2024 was fuelled by content shared and reshared on ‘X’.  With Musk’s refusal to censor incitement and misinformation, many stated that ‘the platform was no longer consistent with their values’. Accounts that are no longer active include various NHS Trust accounts, ambulance services, personal accounts of lawyers, along with Barristers’ Chambers.

As reported by YouGov, most UK users say the platform gives people too much freedom to post harmful and offensive content. Criticism also extends to Elon Musk and his response to the UK riots who said, ‘civil war [in the UK] is inevitable’, shared a post that showed emergency detainment camps for far-right rioters (which was proven as fake-news), and accused Sir Kier Starmer KC of two-tier policing.

Additionally, a recent YouGov survey (conducted on 14^th-15^th August) revealed that 64% had a negative view of Musk, suggesting that the public’s trust in Musk’s leadership and the platform’s commitment to truth and integrity has been severely eroded. This erosion of trust not only impacts user engagement but also raises serious questions about the viability of the platform as a reliable source of information and a safe space for discourse.

Since his takeover of the platform, many people have noted that the platform has helped spread misinformation, most recently about the identity of the Southport murderer which was a catalyst for the recent violence and public disorder. Added to this, the reintroduction of accounts previously banned whilst under the old Twitter, many of whom have been accused of incitement, a violation of X’s own policy (found here) and illegal in the UK under the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006, the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, and the Criminal Justice Act 2003.

The nature of the platform means that individuals are more likely to see posts that spread false stories. As reported by The Independent, posts sharing the false identity of the Southport stabbing suspect were viewed at least 420,000 times on social media.

Engagement of Posts

Business X accounts are noting a significant drop in the engagement of their posts. So far, 2024 has seen a decrease in average engagement rates from 37.82 in 2023 to 31.46 in 2024, and average mentions/reposts were 8.47 and average likes were 1.56.

There are several factors influencing this drop in activity, including changes in the behaviour of the user along with algorithm changes, and constant updates to the platform. This has meant that many accounts, particularly business accounts, have experienced a significant drop in the impressions and interactions of each post.

In March 2024, X shared usage stats and one figure sticked out, X has 250 million daily active users. In November 2022, X reported the same figure which indicates no growth in daily users across 16 months. True performance of an X account is difficult to measure, but at Scala we have noticed a decrease of our client’s X accounts. The decrease has been clear month-on-month and adds legitimacy to the first point regarding engagement, adding to this is X’s move to a subscription-model meaning analytics can now only be viewed through a paid account.

So, what does this mean for my business’ social media strategy?

Click here to find out how you can navigate this shifting landscape and explore the most effective platforms for B2B engagement.