It’s been a year since Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter. The formerly stalwart 17-year-old social media site has been a veritable digital maelstrom since his arrival.
Over the past twelve months, Twitter’s empire has collapsed under a handful of avoidable follies, which when added up, spell out its slow demise as a space for meaningful dialogue and idea-sharing.
First, the advertisers left: In late 2022 and early 2023, X, formerly known as Twitter’s, ad revenue took a hit as major brands paused advertising efforts on the platform. What was once a $4.5 billion advertising business for Twitter is now in decline.
Next, celebrities and public figures began jumping ship, leaving behind a mess—it’s still addictive to check in, but no one expects to benefit from these drop-ins. According to a spring 2023 Pew Research Center survey, 60% of U.S. adults who had used X/Twitter in the past year said they’d taken a break from the platform in that time. In the same survey, a quarter of current or recent X/Twitter users said it is unlikely they will be on the site next year.
Musk's policies since taking over included overhauling X/Twitter’s verification systems, a.k.a. "pay to play" checkmarks, massive layoffs, and an ultimatum for employees to commit to “hardcore” hours. These changes appeared to make X/Twitter seem unsafe, volatile, and lawless, detracting “thought leaders” from sharing the labor of their minds. All of this, coupled with shaky safety standards for reporting abuse, bullying, and racism with no moderation in sight, was the beginning of the end for Twitter.
The Exodus to LinkedIn
Sitting pretty, however, is LinkedIn.
Older than its social media contemporaries, LinkedIn consists of more than 600 million professional profiles, and it’s still growing. Its humble beginnings as a professional network to provide space for users to connect with colleagues, industry peers, and potential employers, made it a valuable resource for career development and growth. LinkedIn—despite, or perhaps because of its deeply consistent design and simple interface, has become the sought-after platform for executives to idea-share.
In uncertainty, we as humans seek security. In X/Twitter’s case, the changing of the guard—and the chaos that followed—has proven to be anything but secure and consistent. This has worked in LinkedIn’s favor.
The Lure of the LinkedIn Algorithm
The agency side is seeing an increased demand for LinkedIn services as execs rush to get in on the content action, eyeing it as a space for self branding. Because of LinkedIn’s significant impact on professional development and economic opportunities, it’s been able to maintain a reputation of positivity, trust, accountability and confidence.
Less saturated by bots and scam accounts, LinkedIn’s algorithms prioritize content focused on knowledge sharing and insights. Its emphasis on quality makes it one of the only social sites that rewards text-heavy posts with high engagement. LinkedIn's algorithms prioritize valuable content such as in-depth information, thought leadership, scholarship, and industry insights, which contribute to collective learning. Additionally, text-heavy posts tend to generate thoughtful discussions and comments, which boosts the post's visibility in feeds. By design, posts are searchable and indexable, making it easier for users to find relevant information, benefiting both content creators and consumers.
It’s a win-win for all audiences.
Where to Start with LinkedIn
Analyze where your clients have been on social media, and where you want them to go. LinkedIn is dynamic in its use; if your clients have been historically active, do an audit of past posts. See what works, what hasn’t worked, and what might be the next best step for messaging. The strategy behind what they're doing is imperative to move forward and keep up in the 24-hour feed as needed.
Build a Brand
Be a solution to other people’s problems. By identifying your client’s addressable audience, it becomes much easier to understand the narratives, industry trends, and hot-button topics to discuss. Guide that audience by providing honest and valuable content.
Influence the Influencers
Follow the right people. Meet media professionals and influencers where they are within the LinkedIn space. By advising your executives to be active and share valuable discourse, they increase their chances of being noticed by journalists, bloggers, and influencers who just might amplify their messages to a broader audience.
Despite all the positives, it’s important to note that all social platforms have challenges, whether spam, inappropriate content, lack of transparency, bad actors—the list goes on. However, it remains a valuable resource and tool for execs and users to connect and learn something new.
X no longer marks the spot. It’s time to jump ship.
Ralle Karadjov is Editorial Director at Moxie Communications Group.