‘No other platform will be Twitter’: Marketers aren’t sold on Twitter alternatives just yet
Ever since Elon Musk bought Twitter, the platform has been in a constant state of frenzy, with some of the biggest advertisers leaving the flock. While a swath of users have fled
the coop to nest in alternative platforms, such as Mastodon, Hive Social, Post.News and soon-to-launch Spill, many marketers say they’re on the fence about whether they’ll
follow.That’s not to say there isn’t any curiosity around what Twitter’s alternatives could be. “But ultimately, there isn’t a logical alternative for Twitter at this
time, no matter the challenges with brand safety and uncertainty on the platform,” Greg Swan, Chief Creative and Strategy Officer at The Social Lights, a Minneapolis-based social
media agency, said in a written statement to Digiday. “Will there be another platform to prioritize in the coming years? Yes. Which one remains to be seen.” Unlike the TikTok
gold rush, in which brands dashed to create a presence and be a first-mover on the short-form video app, the push for some brands to leave Twitter hasn’t been as momentous, even
with the previously mentioned upheaval. In fact, many social media agencies say they’re in wait-and-see mode, hesitant to recommend alternative apps to clients given that many
alternatives have yet to offer ad infrastructure, verified user numbers, brand safety framework or audience volume that truly challenges Twitter. What’s more, some marketers see
the rewards of advertising on Twitter outweighing the risks. “The platforms that are being positioned or positioning themselves as a Twitter replacement, are seen as less
compelling among our more adventurous clients because it’s not immediately apparent that they have relevance to the audience,” said Liz Cole, executive director and U.S. head
of social at VMLY&R. The agency has yet to leverage any of the aforementioned apps on behalf of their clients. “From an operational perspective, even the brands of ours that
have taken a big giant step back from Twitter, the lights are not off by any means,” she added. ‘No other platform will be Twitter’ Late last year, business mogul Musk
started his Twitter takeover, spooking both advertisers and users with mass layoffs, verification overhaul, reinstating banned accounts and launching seemingly never ending
platform and policy changes. That turbulence created just enough space for challengers to enter the fray, like Mastodon, a decentralized social network made up of independent
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servers, microblogging platforms like Hive Social and Post.News, and Spill, a new social network launched by former Twitter employees. Even Twitter founder Jack Dorsey announced
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