X Adds Follower Versus Non-Follower Engagement Data

X has added a new element to its updated analytics, which now shows you how many followers versus non-followers are engaging with your posts in the app.

As you can see in this example, posted by X Daily News, X’s analytics element now includes a new chart showing you your engagement split, which could provide more context to help you grow your following.

Though given the expanded reliance on systematic recommendations, there may not be a lot that you can do to address an imbalance like this.

Many users on Threads have noted the same (Threads offers the same insight in its analytics), that a lot more non-followers are interacting with their updates, which, theoretically, could mean that the algorithm is not showing your posts to your followers as much as it is other content.

That’s not definitive, but conceptually, the shift to algorithmic “For You” feeds as the main focus in social apps has meant that more and more users are simply not tapping that “Follow” button anymore, because they can rely on the system to show them what they’re most likely to be interested in every time they log in.

That’s good for engagement rates, with advancing AI-based recommendations keeping users glued to social apps for longer. But it’s not so great for creators, who are looking to build an engaged community, which they can then, ideally, monetize through direct, in-app updates, or via other means.

If algorithmic recommendations actively discourage following, by making it easy to basically not use this as a means to maintain engagement, that will make it much harder for creators to grow, which is why Threads is now working to re-weight its scales more towards content from profiles that you’ve chosen to follow.

With X rolling out this new element, the platform may soon look to follow Threads' lead, as more creators note that their engagement is coming from non-followers in the app.

Of course, the counter to that is that creating great content will see you get better reach either way, with the algorithm feeding your updates through to the right audience. But building an audience remains important, and the inclusion of data charts like this fuels related debate.

That’s not to say that everyone on X is going to have a major imbalance in follower versus non-follower interaction. But again, the algorithmic shift could means that is more likely than not, which could force the platforms to reasses.

X's advanced insights are available for X Premium users only.