What is the next Twitter?
By Megan E. Collins, Cultural Anthropologist
Twitter is officially gone. RIP Twitter.
On May 16th, Elon Musk took to x.com to announce that “all core systems are now on x.com” thus completing his conquering of the platform formerly known as Twitter.
As x has become a platform increasingly guided by the whims of Elon, it’s become a less desirable place for users to post content, engage with other users, and generally “hang out.” As such, we’re seeing other platforms look to capture some of the cultural ground ceded by x.com. For instance, platforms like BlueSky, Mastodon, and Spill have spun up in recent years as Twitter alternatives. However, brands, especially smaller brands, would be wise to hesitate before jumping headfirst into these emerging platforms. While there are certainly benefits to being an early adopter, unless it’s a natural brand fit, producing a whole new strategy and content plan for a whole new algorithm is unlikely going to result in a positive return on investment.
Instead, we’re placing our bets on three more established platforms that might be able to capture some of Twitter (RIP’s) distinguishing attributes that we’ll miss. Brands, take note
Substack… could be the place influential internet thought leaders congregate
One of the best parts of Twitter was following journalists, comedians, and content creators getting everything from their casual observations to deeply insightful threads and articles. In addition to the content itself, twitter was a place where like minded people could connect easily, share content, and exchange ideas.
Now, many of those leading Twitter personalities have taken to Substack. Where they are actually better able to monetize their (incredibly engaged) audiences than they were on Twitter. Via Glossy:
“On a day that a Substack [featuring the brand] is published, we typically see 3-5x our average sales volume,” Cohen said, speaking to Substack’s impact on her nascent business.
“A lot of these girls have very strong followings,” Gahng said. “They may only have 20,000-30,000 followers, but their followers really appreciate their style. … They’re like editors curating for the people who are interested in just them.” Gahng said.
Instagram Threads… could be the go-to place for funny hot takes & of-the-moment discourse
While I personally refuse to get on Instagram Threads because it means downloading yet another app (for now) you can’t ignore Meta’s track record of successfully integrating features popularized on other platforms into its ecosystem: Stories ib by Snapchat, Reels ib TikTok and now Threads ib Twitter to name a few.
In response to the craving for a new Twitter-like experience, Instagram debuted Threads last summer. Connected to user’s existing Instagram profiles, Threads is a feed for text based posts and in recent months released a trending feature. My colleague Karissa Zigarovich made the astute observation that we’ll know another platform has completely replaced Twitter when it becomes the go-to place to see who else felt an earthquake. So far, I would say Instagram & Threads are the closest to stepping into this coveted role in the digital landscape and this trending update brings them all the closer.
Since many brands already have a robust presence on Instagram, with many having shops, it can’t hurt to also develop an Instagram Threads strategy. While being an early adopter can be risky if the platform doesn’t stick around, in this case it may be worth it for better favor in an increasingly difficult to navigate instagram landscape. Plus, brands that see long term success on social media are often early adopters (see: Duolingo & TikTok)
TikTok… could be the place for monocultural internet events
TikTok, though video based, has definitely taken some of Twitter’s cultural spotlight as the place where discourse thrives. Most recently, they laid cultural claim to one of the internet’s beloved meme-able moments: The Met Gala. Who can forget Rihanna’s infamous pizza dress and the frenzy it caused on the bird app? Not only did TikTok sponsor the Gala to raise money for The Met’s costume institute it created a branded landing page and interactive experience on the app. There they gamified interacting with met gala content and accounts allowing users could vote on looks, win prizes, and see all the best content in one place. Vogue was able to leverage the Met Gala to elevate their social channels and event coverage in today’s preferred medium: short form video.
Takeaways:
When thinking about influencer strategy, don’t forget substack creators! They may not be putting their faces out there as much (yet) but they still have incredibly engaged audiences and are successfully driving customer conversion.
Consider using Instagram Threads to reap “Early adopter” benefit of having less competition and then a leg up on the competition if and when the platform takes off.
Like Vogue and The Met Gala, it's less about showing up everywhere all the time and instead showing up strategically at the right moments.