Why X’s Decline Under Elon Musk is Worrying: Analysis and Solutions

2024-03-24 19:53:00
File photograph that shows a user holding a mobile phone that displays the ‘X’ logo in front of a screen that shows Elon Musk’s profile on that same social network, in Los Angeles, California (USA). EFE/ Etienne Laurent

X does not seem to be able to overcome its bad situation and month after month the number of users continues to fall. The arrival of Elon Musk has not changed the decline, despite the arrival of new functions and future projects.

Contrary to what might be expected, the acquisition of the owner of Tesla has caused the downward trend to become more and more frequent and there is a constant drop in the number of daily active users. This decline has been revealed by data collected by research firms, casting a worrying picture of the platform’s current situation and its challenges in maintaining its position in the social media market.

According to data from Sensor Tower, a San Francisco-based market intelligence firm, last February, the number of daily active users on the X mobile app in the United States fell 18% from a year earlier, totaling 27 millions.

X’s new initiative incorporates an in-house specialized team hoping to overcome the industry’s historic difficulties in content moderation. (REUTERS)

This negative trend has continued since November 2022, the first full month under Musk’s ownership, indicating a worrying lack of growth and instead a steady decline in the platform’s user base.

Globally, the situation is no less grim, with a 15% decline in daily active users on the X mobile app taking the figure to 174 million in February, according to data from Sensor Tower. A situation that contrasts with what is happening on other platforms, which have experienced modest increases in their user bases during the same period.

Analysis suggests that several reasons could be behind this drop in X’s popularity. Among them is possible user frustration due to controversial content and the relaxation of content moderation rules under Musk’s ownership. It has been noted that the platform has allowed more controversial content, which could have alienated some of its user base.

File photo showing a user while holding a mobile phone displaying the ‘X’ logo. EFE/EPA/ETIENNE LAURENT

Another crucial factor could be the growing competition from short-form video platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok, which have managed to attract a young audience with visually attractive content and innovative formats. As these platforms continue to expand and capture users’ attention, X has struggled to maintain its appeal among younger generations.

Musk’s business strategy has also been questioned, with X transitioning from a nearly exclusive advertising model to one that includes four subscription tiers. Although this measure could have been designed to diversify the platform’s revenue, some analysts question whether it has been effective or whether it has contributed to the decline in the user base.

In addition to users, advertisers are also leaving the platform. According to Sensor Tower, 75 of the top 100 advertisers in the United States have ceased ad spending on the platform, especially after Musk publicly enabled anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.

FILE PHOTO: Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris, France, June 16, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo

Despite these challenges, X continues to insist on staying current in the market and captivating more users. Musk has urged his followers to invite more people to join the platform, and the company says it is seeing significant growth in the number of new users.

To achieve this strategy they are developing options to integrate live broadcasts, similar to those of Twitch, and are paying content creators to generate interesting topics to create a community.

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