You might be aware that Twitter has gone a bit bonkers recently. This is because of a certain gentleman, who already has a successful electric car company and his own space program, decided to purchase the platform. And the proverbial has hit the fan.
This post isn't about how or why Twitter is in this situation. There's plenty to read about that on other sites, such as The Hustle.
What I'd like to discuss (yes discuss, as in I'd like a conversation about this so let me know your thoughts!) is what does this mean for marketers.
Won't somebody please think of the Marketers!?
Before we get started, I think I should make my feelings on Twitter clear. I'm not a fan. To me it's always been a dodgy, angry place (yes I know pretty much all of social media is but Twitter more so) and I don't think most brands understand how much time and effort you need to put in to make it a useful platform for you, especially if you're a small business that simply hasn't got the time.
So, is Twitter doomed? It depends who you ask. Some believe that Twitter is coming to an end. And it's not because of the multiple PR fiascos the new owner has personally caused in his month of owenership. The company was already losing popularity and struggling financially, Mr. Musk seems to have just acellurated that process by upsetting long standing advertisers.
However! Musk is known for coming close to failure but managing to turn it around. Both Space X and Tesla nearly collapsed but he managed to turn them both in the highly successful companies. Does that mean he'll do the same with Twitter? No, but it's not a bad track record.
So it could go either way. It looks likely that it'll all crash and burn but it might turn into something brand new! Whether that new thing is something you'd like to be a part of, and based on the people Musk has allowed back on Twitter you may not want to, depends on your company's values, position and strategy.
Basically, I'm saying be patient and keep up to date with the situation. Don't abandon ship yet, but having a back up plan won't hurt.
One down, more to go?
Are the other social media platform we know ( and may or may not love) doomed as well?
Maybe. Ever heard of MySpace?
But seriously, who knows. For the first time Facebook began to decline in early 2022.
That doesn't mean the end of the world as we know it.
Of course, the rise of TikTok has changed the landscape as well with their focus on entertainment. Meta's attempt to copy this hasn't worked so far. Whether the platforms we know today are destined for the bin is anyones guess, but nothing lasts forever.
What do you think? Should marketers start making moves and plans away from Twitter? Is it a passing storm?
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