The user audience of microblogging service X (formerly Twitter) continues to decline, according to fresh data from independent analytical companies cited by NBC News. Despite efforts to revitalize the platform, X still lags far behind competitors such as Instagram and TikTok.
Decline in User Base
In February of this year, the number of daily active mobile X users in the US was 27 million, down 18% from the same period a year earlier, according to Sensor Tower. Since November last year, the platform’s user base has either not been growing or has been declining every month. Globally, the number of daily active users has decreased to 174 million people, a 15% drop from the previous year.
Conflicting Statistics and Competitor Growth
X released its own statistics countering Sensor Tower’s data, citing 250 million daily active users of the mobile application worldwide. However, against the backdrop of X’s decline, the audience of its competitors is growing. For example, Snapchat’s user base grew by 8.8%, Instagram by 5.3%, Facebook by 1.5%, and TikTok by 0.5%.
Factors Contributing to Decline
Analysts attribute X’s decline to various factors including disappointment among users due to a decrease in the quality of published content, technical problems, and competition from short video publishing services.
Efforts to Retain Users
X claims a monthly audience of 550 million people, showing a slight growth compared to previous figures. However, advertisers continue to abandon X, with 75 of the top 100 US advertisers halting spending on the platform.
In comparison to X, Meta’s competitor Threads has seen growth in downloads and active users, ranking higher in various mobile application stores, notes NIXsolutions.
Despite claims of growth, X faces significant challenges in retaining its user base and attracting advertisers. Monitoring the platform’s performance and competition will be crucial in understanding its future trajectory. We’ll keep you updated on any developments.