There’s some conflicting info floating round for the time being with regard to X’s utilization, and its progress (or not) underneath Elon Musk.

Some studies counsel that X utilization is method down, whereas downloads of the app have additionally declined. Different studies indicate that X is definitely gaining in reputation when in comparison with its visitors and engagement numbers from final yr.

In instances previous, we have been in a position to depend on Twitter’s quarterly updates as a method to measure the platform’s precise utilization, and since these studies are legally enforceable, we might belief that Twitter was certainly offering its true utilization numbers. However X, which is a non-public entity, would not have any such reporting obligations, which leaves us reliant on Musk and X CEO Linda Yaccarino to offer us with precise present utilization insights.

And happening what they have been reporting to this point, I am unsure that now we have any clue as to what’s really right, true, or factual on this entrance. 

So first off, now we have Musk himself, who final week shared this chart as an indicator of X’s surging visitors.

Seems to be compelling proper? Primarily based on this chart, you possibly can be led to consider that X is definitely beating Instagram by way of general utilization.

It’s not. In actual fact, it is not even shut.

Instagram has over a billion month-to-month energetic customers, versus X’s 500 million, so in sheer guests alone, it is most unlikely that X could be matching IG. 

However what’s much less clear, primarily based on this chart, is what the above figures really characterize. 

The numbers on this chart are primarily based on web site visitors knowledge from SEMRush, which measures visitors to a site, on this case x.com versus instagram.com. So it is measuring guests in browsers (internet or cellular), not within the precise apps. 80% of X’s utilization comes by way of the app, whereas it is extra like 97% of Instagram’s. In different phrases, solely a fraction of the customers of both app is coming to the platform by way of its www area, with the majority of utilization taking place in-app, which isn’t mirrored on this chart.

Add to this the truth that X posts are listed by Google, whereas the overwhelming majority of IG posts should not, and it is no shock that X is seeing extra web site visitors. If something, the truth that X was ever trailing IG on this respect is extra of a priority, however to indicate that which means X is seeing extra general utilization than Instagram will not be right, and actually, not even near the fact of the state of affairs.

This similar measure has been utilized in varied studies suggesting that X’s visitors is up.

This week, one other report, utilizing knowledge from Ahrefs, advised that X has seen a 22.3% improve in visitors year-over-year. Identical to SEMRush, Ahrefs has no entry to app utilization knowledge, so that is solely primarily based on area visitors, i.e. individuals utilizing X by way of internet browsers on desktop and cellular gadgets. Which is barely round a fifth of X utilization, and inside that component, X is seemingly seeing a rise. That might particually be attributed to Musk’s personal posts, and the encircling commentary round such, however with out equal app utilization knowledge, this perception is basically meaningless as an indicator of general X utilization, a method or one other.  

In Domo’s latest “Information By no means Sleeps” report, it additionally shared that whole X posts per minute have elevated year-over-year, rising from 347k per minute in 2022, to 360k per minute in 2023. However that belies X’s personal insights on this. 

Again in September, Elon stated that X customers have been sharing 200 million posts per day within the app, however per week later, Yaccarino corrected this, saying that X is definitely seeing

• 100 million unique posts per day
• 100 million replies to posts daily
• 300 million quote posts and reposts

So, in essence, X is seeing 200 million unique posts per day, however utilizing the reported numbers from Domo, this doesn’t match up.

Taking Domo’s 360k posts per minute stat, that will imply that X is at present seeing 518 million posts per day, which is nicely past X’s personal reported numbers. At 500 million per day, that will really equate to 347k posts per minute, which is what X was seeing final yr. So X is probably not seeing much less utilization, however primarily based by itself knowledge, it is also seemingly not seeing extra, except Domo has further perception into X utilization that X seemingly doesn’t.     

One other latest declare from Yaccarino, that X is seeing 150 million new sign-ups per day, can be not being mirrored in X’s personal utilization numbers.

At 1.5 million new account sign-ups per day, X needs to be including 45 million new customers each month, however it’s been on 500 million month-to-month customers, in response to its personal studies, since July. So whether it is seeing 45 million further sign-ups a month, these new customers should not sticking round, and as such, I am unsure that it is a nice stat to spotlight X’s progress. 

Lastly, Elon has additionally reported that the platform has reached varied new report highs all year long in cumulative person seconds, although this determine has additionally been criticized by varied business specialists. Musk says that that is essentially the most correct measure of true engagement, however critics declare that this solely means that Musk’s most devoted followers are spending all of their time within the app, and isn’t indicative of a extra basic utilization pattern. 

In abstract, there isn’t any clear proof to counsel that X is seeing extra utilization general, although it is usually vital to notice the relevance of such in your individual planning. It would not matter if a billion persons are utilizing X, it issues in case your audience is energetic there, so in broad phrases, it could be much less related to your particular person advertising and marketing plans that X is or is not flying underneath Musk’s management.

However by way of sustainability of the platform, it does matter, and it might affect what turns into of Musk’s X mission in the long run. On that entrance, the truth that the numbers aren’t declining quickly ought to imply that X remains to be performing nicely sufficient, on steadiness. However mainly, we do not know what the precise state of X’s efficiency is, primarily based on the information that we’re at present receiving.