The State of Twitter/X in 2024

Since Elon Musk’s acquisition, Twitter (now X) has undergone radical changes:

  • 550 million monthly active users (down from 650M pre-acquisition)
  • 80% of ads now shown to just 20% of users (internal X data)
  • Video posts get 5x more reach than text tweets
  • Verified accounts see 3x more impressions (but costs 8−11/month)

Who Should Still Use X for Marketing?

Best For:

✅ News/Media Companies (62% of users come for real-time updates)
✅ Tech/SaaS Brands (Engagement rates 2.1% vs 0.5% on LinkedIn)
✅ Politicians/Public Figures (The “Town Square” effect remains)
✅ B2C Brands Targeting Gen Z (45% of users are 18-29)

Worst For:

❌ Local brick-and-mortar businesses
❌ Visual-heavy industries (fashion, food)
❌ Long-form content creators

2024 Twitter/X Algorithm Secrets

What Gets Boosted:

  • Controversial Takes (Engagement bait works)
  • Threads with 3-5 tweets (28% higher retention)
  • Community Notes (X’s fact-checks increase visibility)
  • Spaces Audio (Grows followers 2x faster)

What Gets Buried:

  • Links to competitors (Facebook, TikTok)
  • Overly polished corporate messaging
  • Scheduled posts (30% less reach than native posting)

Proven Engagement Hacks

1. The “Breadcrumb Thread” Method

  1. Tweet a controversial opinion
  2. Follow up with “Actually…” 2 hours later
  3. End with “DM me for the full story”

Example:
“SEO is dead.” → “Actually… it’s just changed.” → “The 3 new rules (DM ‘SEO’ for guide)”

2. Strategic Quote Tweeting

  • Quote tweet competitors’ posts with value-add
  • Works best between 2-4 PM EST
  • Increases profile visits by 70%

3. Polls That Polarize

  • “Hot take” polls get 3x more replies
  • Best structure:
    “Which of these [industry] sins is worse?”
    [Option A] vs [Option B]

Advertising on X: 2024 Realities

Pros:

  • Cheapest CPC among major platforms ($0.38)
  • Political/news targeting unmatched
  • New “Sensitivity Slider” controls brand safety

Cons:

  • 42% of ads now show alongside risky content
  • Verification required for most ad types
  • Limited conversion tracking

Smart Move: Use for top-funnel awareness, not direct sales

Case Study: How a Fintech Startup Gained 18K Followers

Strategy:

  • Daily “unpopular opinion” tweets at 9 AM EST
  • Weekly Spaces with industry critics
  • All employees required to engage

Results in 90 Days:

  • 4.3M impressions
  • 12% follower growth rate
  • 37 qualified leads

X Alternatives to Consider

Platform Better For Worse For
LinkedIn B2B leads Real-time chat
Threads Brand safety Algorithm control
Bluesky Early adopters Scale

30-Day Experiment Plan

  1. Week 1: Optimize profile (banner, pinned tweet)
  2. Week 2: Post 1 hot-take thread daily
  3. Week 3: Run $5/day ads to boost best post
  4. Week 4: Host 2 Spaces sessions

Final Verdict: Should You Stay?

✔ Yes if: You’re in news/tech/politics or have controversial takes
✖ No if: You prefer stable algorithms or visual marketing