In the Know on Twitter Alternatives
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Whether you’re in the social media marketing world or not, the drama at Twitter has been hard to avoid. And while personal users of the bird app need to determine if they’d like to stay there or deactivate (or start shelling out $8 a month for a blue checkmark), marketers and media professionals have a lot more to think about.
I’m MaDonna Sheehy and in this edition of In The Know, we’re going to explore what options professionals have in the wake of the Twitter disruption.
Many advertisers have paused budgets or completely cut Twitter out of their paid media strategies since Elon Musk purchased the social media network , with fears of hate speech, platform instability and rampant misinformation being cited by many. (Elon himself is even alleging that Apple has threatened to pull Twitter from the app store .) This uncertainty has made many marketers wary of allocating budget to the platform, but the truth is for some, Twitter is a big part of their marketing plan. Some use it for networking, many journalists use it for reporting and gathering information, and a lot of the public uses it to stay in touch with the rest of the world in a way that’s just very quintessentially Twitter.
There have been A LOT of Twitter-likes that have popped up over the last few weeks and users are flocking to and from the new websites, trying to claim their usernames and get a feel for how the platforms work. However, it’s still a little too early to tell what the best new platform will end up being and if it’ll be right for your brand.
Here are a few that I’ve found so you can start weighing your options for your brand.
The Legacy Networks
Of course, just because Twitter may or may not be an viable professional social network for much longer, doesn’t mean that the rest of the classic social media sites are going away. Your brand can still post and run ads on Meta (Facebook and Instagram), TikTok, Reddit, and LinkedIn. ?
As always, when deciding which platform to focus on, use your audience as your guide. Where do they look online? Where do they spend their money? Where do they click links? And if Twitter was a major source of traffic and advertising conversions, make sure to study your analytics to see where your specific audiences are migrating to.
(Note: I’ve seen many people site Discord as an alternative to Twitter, however I view this software as more of a chatroom than a social network. I’ve seen brands create their own official Discord channels to provide a community space for fans, such as for video games players and YouTube/Twitch channel subscribers, but B2B & B2C companies might find it difficult to include Discord in their marketing mix.) ?
The New Contenders
Mastodon: With a complicated point of entry, Mastodon emerged early as a favorite of journalists and tech-savvy users, and it now has over 2.5 million active users thanks to the Twitter exodus. This software is open-source and is comprised of decentralized servers that users can select from. These servers are often focused on niches and locations, making it easier for Mastodon posters to find likeminded communities. However, with this for-users/not-for-stakeholders focus, brands may not need to consider this platform for a while. TechCrunch has a very helpful guide on understanding how (and why) to use Mastodon.
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Hive Social: The most Twitter-like of them all, in my opinion, is Hive. This little platform is a mix of Instagram and Twitter, but from like ten years ago. (And Myspace! You can add a song to your profile.) It’s simple and easy to use , with streamlined posts and chronological feeds. However, there are a few downsides that I’ve noticed: there are only two people on staff (!!!), there’s no desktop app and there have been some hiccups with securing unique usernames. I’m excited to see where Hive goes, though, and I think there’s a potential for smaller brands to use this platform for brand awareness and connecting with customers and fans directly.
Post: Since there is still a very long waitlist to join Post, I haven’t been able to try it out myself, but from what I’ve read , this platform’s intention is to merge news and social media, with a solid content moderation plan to keep debates civil and safe. Who knows when advertising will be an option on Post, but brands who need to promote announcements and corporate communications topics should put a pin in this social network. It might be a good option in the future.
The Microblog
Microblogging and publishing platforms like Tumblr, Substack and Medium have all been popular for years, but just like every other networking site, they’ve all seen an influx of users as Elon’s chaotic Twitter timeline continues.
Tumblr and a new platform, Cohost, are a more casual, user-focused set of options for longer-form content and community building. On the other hand, Substack and Medium are more structured and professional, with many brands already using these two platforms to grow their subscriber base and to boost their SEO.
It’s never a bad idea to diversify where your content lives online, and if your teams have capacity, it might be worth looking into at least Substack or Medium to start posting thought leadership and brand-focused articles.??????????????????
And More to Come…
In this time of social media shakeup, I’m sure there will still be more new platforms launched to try to find their piece of the online pie. Don’t forget, Jack Dorsey (the original Twitter founder) is working on his own new decentralized social network, Bluesky . Social media marketers and PR professionals should continue to use a mix of data and listening to their gut to decide which new platforms to experiment with as they relate to business goals.
Let me know in the comments on which new social platforms you’re trying instead of Twitter, or if I’ve missed any big ones! Or if you've figured out how to use BeReal in your marketing campaigns -- I'm dying to hear a case study on that!
Thanks for reading and catch you next time on In The Know.
-MaDonna Sheehy