Twitter is Dead (Kind of): Where X Stands With Consumers [New Data]

Twitter is dead, and from its ashes rises X. Okay, that might be a little dramatic, but it‘s not wrong. Twitter officially rebranded following Elon Musk’s acquisition and is now known as X. So, what could this mean for...

Oct 2, 2023 - 21:02

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Twitter is Dead (Kind of): Where X Stands With Consumers [New Data]

Twitter is dead, and from its ashes rises X. Okay, that might be a little dramatic, but it‘s not wrong. Twitter officially rebranded following Elon Musk’s acquisition and is now known as X. So, what could this mean for the platform going forward?

A woman in a yellow turtle neck thinks about Twitter/X; is Twitter dying?

Are users still sticking to the newly named social media site, or will they flock to other platforms?

While I can‘t say for sure what the future holds for the app formerly known as Twitter, we at HubSpot surveyed over 170 social media users to get their perspectives on whether they’ll still use X.

Here's what I can tell you based on our findings.

Are consumers still using X following the rebrand?

Rebranding longstanding apps like Twitter can be risky. Will consumers like the rebrand? Will they leave the app en masse? According to our survey, that may not be the case.

Most social media users (63%) say they've used X for at least an hour or more since July 2023. Right behind X is Reddit, with 50% of consumers saying they use Reddit for an hour or more.

Threads comes in third place with 24% of users, and Tumblr comes in fourth with 23% of users.

Oddly enough, the apps projected to compete with or replace Twitter/X need to catch up regarding how often consumers use them for at least an hour. Only 5% of consumers report using Mastadon for an hour or more.

4% say the same about Bluesky, and 3% say this about Spill.

Is Twitter dying; graph shows if users are still using X

We also asked users if their X/Twitter usage changed between July and August. Most users (31%) say their use remains the same, but 22% report substantially decreasing their time on the platform.

The graph below shows you a full breakdown of how social media usage across the platforms mentioned above may or may not have changed.

Is Twitter dying; graph shows usage of apps

Will users spend less time on X in 2024?

Now that Twitter is X and more changes to the platform are on the horizon, will social media users spend less time on X in 2024? Here's what our survey says.

35% of consumers say they‘ll use X just as much by 2024 as now, and only 17% say they’ll stop using it entirely. 29% of respondents plan to use X more often.

Is Twitter dying; graph shows whether users will still use X in 2024.

Social media users had this to say about X competitors Spill, Mastodon, and Bluesky:

31% of respondents say they will use Threads just as much in 2024 as now, and 26% say they‘ll use it more often. 11% say they’ll use it less, and 16% say they'll stop. 34% of Spill users in our survey say they‘ll stop using the platform entirely in 2024, and 15% say they’ll use it more. 9% plan on using it less, and 33% say their usage will remain the same. 39% of respondents plan to stop using Mastodon entirely in 2024, and 14% plan to use it more often. 33% say their usage will remain the same, and 7% plan to use it less. In our survey, 37% of Bluesky users say they plan to stop using the app in 2024, and 32% say their usage won‘t change. 16% say they’ll use it more often, and 8% say they'll use it less.

Will consumers pay for X Premium?

Before the rebrand, Twitter offered a paid premium package called Twitter Blue, which gave users access to features like editing tweets or using a higher word count. These features were in exchange for a monthly fee.

Since the rebrand, Twitter Blue is now X Premium, which offers many of the same features as Twitter Blue, plus new features such as the ability to hide or display a blue verification mark.

Are these features enough to entice consumers to subscribe to a premium package? Is the package sufficient to attract new X users? Let's see.

22% of our survey respondents said they‘re considering subscribing to X Premium, but 41% plan to remain a free X user. 31% said they don’t use X now and still don't plan on it despite the package.

Only 6% are unsure or don't know about the premium package.

So, is Twitter/X ‘dying’?

Based on these results, most of X‘s current consumers will remain loyal to the platform in 2024, and most of its competitors will struggle to compete or keep users. However, Instagram’s Threads will provide strong competition for the app.

As a long-time Twitter-now-X user (I‘ve been on the app for about 10 years), I don’t plan to jump ship. I've downloaded apps like Threads, Spill, and Hive but have noticed the same pattern:

First, seemingly everyone will be on X talking about the latest competitor and how it's worth downloading.

I download the new app and use it sporadically for a week or two, but inevitably find myself back on X because it's familiar and has an established community and culture.

Conversations are always happening on X, just like when it was still Twitter, and like a moth to a flame, I can't help but gravitate back toward the app no matter what.

If you ask me, Twitter, as we know it, is gone, but X doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.