Twitter’s identity crisis and the bigger picture

Didit Editorial

9 years ago

By evandrodesouza [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

twitter February 8, 2016: Over the last year or so, Twitter has been struggling with a falling stock, less-than-exciting new features, and a dangerous combination of unhappy users and investors. “The End of Twitter” — an in-depth New Yorker feature – recently lambasted Twitter’s efforts to remain relevant. The drama came to a head this weekend when #RIPTwitter started trending worldwide after Buzzfeed reported a new algorithm might replace Twitter’s familiar (reverse) chronological timeline.

Twitter’s CEO Jack Dorsey – faced with accusations that Twitter would soon become “a copy of Facebook” — was forced to make a statement insisting that the timeline wouldn’t change.

Hello Twitter! Regarding #RIPTwitter: I want you all to know we’re always listening. We never planned to reorder timelines next week.

— Jack (@jack) February 6, 2016

What does all of this mean for poor Twitter? Social media is an ever-changing landscape, and new, “hot” networks like Snapchat and Instagram have kept Twitter out-of-breath, out of ideas, and apparently incapable of keeping up. Being caught between Wall Street and your loyal fan base poses an interesting, and yes, possibly dooming, conundrum for Twitter.

Are we measuring Twitter’s vital signs correctly?

Twitter’s first issue, as re/code is quick to point out, is that it’s closed its API to advertisers, essentially cutting of its useful social graph and consumer data. If Twitter was to once again open its API, it would unlock a lot of value for advertisers, especially those seeking to strategically use the in-house resources that Twitter data provides, especially in real time and experiential marketing. Doing so would demonstrate that it’s a data-led (not a media-led) company that doesn’t have to chase growth in order to succeed.

Instead, we’re left to track Twitter’s success by its growth in size. While user growth has been a measure of success in social for a long time, social media is no longer a “new” phenomenon. It may be time to take another look at what social networks provide, instead of how much their populations grow. Yes, Facebook boasts huge growth each year, but it’s Instagram that boasts the most engagement.

This problem has been haunting social for a while, and I can’t understand why everyone is focused on the wrong stats. The very idea that growth is the only metric that matters goes against what social media experts will tell any client: it’s quality, not quantity, that counts. If your Facebook post reached 1000 fans, but no one engaged, do you have the right fans? Wouldn’t you rather your post reach 100 people and get 20 engagements? It’s about being on the right networks for your business, and talking to the users who may one day become customers. If your posts are providing value to users, that’s where you will find organic success.

What must Twitter do?
So can Twitter provide a valuable service that sets it apart for users? The answer – at least in my mind — is a resounding yes, and it brings us back to the birth of the network. Twitter needs to focus on what it does best: real-time conversation (it’s saying something that the issue at hand is now trending on the very network it’s insulting.)

People use Twitter because it’s a network where people are constantly listening. If Twitter can build upon this organic value instead of trying to be a one-stop shop (we’re looking at you, Facebook), it can find a happier compromise between users and investors.

I’m still waiting on Periscope to be used for its full potential, for a better mobile app, better tweet story aggregation, GIF makers, and for the ability to edit my tweets, just to name a few. I love Twitter’s quick wit and pop culture authority, and would surely miss it if it was to disappear or morph into a Facebook clone.