You might’ve seen the news as billionaire X owner Elon Musk admitted in a livestream he’s planning to add a paywall to the entire website. It will come as no surprise to those following along, a required monthly fee (no matter how small) will have a negative impact on user experience–many previously active Twitter users have already left since the takeover began last year.
Musk says this is the way they’ll crack down on bots. We disagree and think having a tangible moderation strategy would suffice but as usual, he didn’t consult with experts and continues to ignore feedback from X users.
What does this mean for advertisers, organizers, activists, and nonprofits in particular?
A lot, if not the majority, of daily users who were easily reached in the past will likely no longer use the app at all. And there is still no clear one-size fits all platform choice to serve as a replacement for users seeking a similar social media experience.
While further details and a timeline for this shift have not been shared yet, we’re publishing this because we believe this may be the final straw for those who have remained despite the significant decline in user experience. Folks willing to pay a monthly fee for X likely already have through X’s subscription for “verification.” Sadly, this has become an income-driven pivot that competing platforms have unfortunately mimicked by rolling out similar features. Verification badges no longer indicate actual identity and while this has been the case for nearly a year now, it is still confusing for some users to see verified accounts who are in fact, not affiliated with the entities in their profile images.
Additionally, we must be asking are those users who are willing to pay for X in your target audience? In most of our clients’ cases, the answer is a resounding working-class no.
There is a ton of speculation being shared by marketers and analysts online. We have our own theories as to why Musk would do this but in keeping this post concise and providing you with only the most relevant information for navigating the latest X meltdown: we recommend investing your resources in your other existing social channels and gathering research about the text-based platforms where former active Twitter users are likely to migrate.
Which platforms will X users be moving to?
There is no perfect unified platform alternative replacing Twitter yet. It was an incredibly useful space for breaking news, labor organizing, and direct action because it was free and urgent news items could be shared instantly and reach the general public. While there is this mass exodus pending, there still isn’t a clear choice that will fulfill all the user needs Twitter did. So, where do we go from here with this growing abundance of imperfect alternatives?
Your answer will depend on your specific audience but there are a few general top contenders we can speak on. We won’t be going over Meta’s platforms, Instagram and Facebook, as they likely continue to be relevant spaces for engagement with your existing audience. However, we have gathered a number of text-based platforms that are currently positioned as X replacements: Threads, Bluesky, Reddit, Spill, Mastodon, and Spoutible.
Threads
In a previous post, we mentioned Threads–the text-based platform created by Meta Instagram–and how we don’t recommend using it due to valid user privacy concerns. While the app is convenient in some ways, like being connected to the associated Instagram account with one set of login credentials–those concerns have not shifted. Any organization providing essential healthcare that is currently being outlawed in some states should especially steer clear of Threads in our opinion.
Threads creators admit they want to be a “friendlier” space than Twitter and the platform deemphasizes news. While the discourse cycle may be exhausting for some, being a source for breaking news was part of the draw for many daily users. If your organization is geared toward building power and helping underserved communities, having relevant news in the feed is important.
Instagram has also quickly discarded projects (remember the Metaverse?) that didn’t immediately perform well before so it wouldn’t be wise to invest too many resources in building a following on Threads unless you’re aware of the privacy risks and are actively using the platform as a funnel for a communication channel you own like your organization’s mailing list.
Bluesky
While Bluesky is one of our go-tos as a Twitter replacement for our niche, it is still technically not open to the public. The platform recently hit one million users and Invite codes are much easier to come by these days but the fact it is still in Beta will automatically reduce the amount of people you’re able to reach with your posts.
There is no infrastructure in place for running ads at this time and developers have posted on the platform that DMs are not high on their list of priorities. While we like many of Bluesky’s unique features, the site is missing a lot of what we consider basic necessities (like working hashtags) for a social media platform. This site may work well for your organization but keep in mind this app may not get more popular so use your resources in this space wisely.
Though it is not a new platform by any means, Reddit doesn't seem to be going anywhere. With one billion daily users, it may be a good option for your marketing and community organizing efforts. Many Redditors intentionally remain anonymous and are therefore more likely to speak openly about sensitive subjects and give more honest feedback. Because the site is already well-established, we can make the educated guess there will be overlap with your Twitter audience.
You can lean into paid ads with their established advertising infrastructure, build your audience on the site by posting in existing subreddits (just note the sub’s rules before doing so), and even create your own subreddit where people can create posts and engage with your organization.
The biggest drawback for Reddit is that many new users report it to be difficult to navigate. Some potential daily users will not continue to explore a platform if they initially perceive it as hard to use. Longtime Redditors may be resistant to change as the website’s navigation has not significantly changed over the years.
Mastodon
We’ve covered Mastodon before and it existed prior to Musk’s Twitter takeover but it continues to be a popular option for some Tech-savvy users making the switch. While the future of social media may be decentralized, many former Twitter users aren’t happy within the Fediverse. The people who’ve been using Mastodon seem happy with it but it continues to be a difficult adjustment for new users who report that the signup process is confusing. Each “instance” has its own rules and this can add to new user confusion. Direct messages are not private on Mastodon and the possibility of virality is significantly diminished without a centralized feed.
Mastodon also doesn’t have advertising infrastructure and it is unlikely to be added. Mastodon users are often hostile towards promotion-oriented content. We don’t blame them but this certainly would complicate things for organizations who rely on paid advertisements for acquisition.
Spill
Spill social is an appealing alternative for many former X users and has been held up as the potential new home for Black Twitter in particular. Sounds great but we are still on the waitlist. Spill is in Beta and since we haven’t gotten to personally explore the app yet, we can’t offer an informed opinion on the user experience. We signed up earlier this year and await our invitations eagerly but if we’re not in yet, it may be the case that your target audience isn’t there either.
Spoutible
Aesthetically, Spoutible is a Twitter clone. Trending hashtags work the same and this would be a relatively easy switch for most users because the interface is so similar. Instead of tweets, the site has spouts. Instead of a bird site, it’s a whale site. Easy enough to navigate because it’s set up exactly the same. Like other alternatives, Spoutible is marketed as a friendlier Twitter. We want to love Spoutible. It’s Black-owned and marketed as a safer space where targeted harassment is taken seriously.
So, why aren’t more people using it? Spoutible launched in February 2023 but there are only about 200 thousand Spoutible users and that’s just based on registration. Some of them aren’t actively spouting. Do we all just have too many competing options now?
In the scramble for X alternatives, the amount of money spent marketing the platform, media attention, and public interest has been critical in consuming the conversation. Spoutible has not seen the same successes in each of those categories in comparison to other newly created platforms. An additional barrier that may be stopping some users from switching over theoretically is Spoutible’s adult content policy. It is strictly prohibited. You may be thinking, what does adult content have to do with my nonprofit organization and our relationship with our audience?
Well, Twitter has always been a virtual space where adult content creators could have candid discussions and promote their work with ease. You don’t have to like it but sexworkers are often the early adopters who bring more new users onto social media platforms that allow them to promote and speak freely. While there are challenges in moderating online spaces that allow adult content, it is important to consider that excluding all adult content means excluding a ton of working people (including romance authors) who would be active users.
Conclusion
This on-going situation with X will likely come to a head soon if Musk goes through with the plan to make the entire site subscription-based. We know firsthand this disruption at Twitter hasn’t been easy to plan around for marketing and organizing efforts. We understand how overwhelming it can be to research alternative platforms and leave behind an engaged audience due to circumstances outside of our control.
Here at Our Community Collective, we’re using this as a learning experience and see it as an opportunity to create a more intimate online community space for our allies and fellow organizers. We’ll be sharing an invitation to our private discord server soon. This will be a space to be in community, maintain solidarity, organize labor, share resources and help each other with our combined knowledge. Sign up for our newsletter to be among the first to know when we launch.
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