On the eve of the one-year anniversary of Elon Musk taking over Twitter, now known as X, the company has released a blog post highlighting its performance under new management. Among the various statistics shared, a figure that stands out is the claim that the average user spends 32 minutes per day on the platform.
Key Takeaway
X, formerly Twitter, claims that an average user spends 32 minutes per day on the platform, but its growth rate and user engagement have been slower than anticipated under Elon Musk’s leadership.
New Figures and Growth Pace
The CEO of X, Linda Yaccarino, disclosed in the blog post that overall users spend a staggering 7.8 billion active minutes on the platform every day. While it is unclear what exactly constitutes “active minutes,” this number is slightly lower than the 8 billion active minutes Musk had previously tweeted about. Furthermore, the figure of 1.5 million daily sign-ups falls short of Musk’s claim of 2 million daily sign-ups a year ago. These figures suggest that X is growing at a slower pace, with user engagement showing a gradual decline.
Premium Users and Engagement
X reported that premium users are spending three times longer on the platform compared to non-paying users. This comes as no surprise since X is currently providing incentives to eligible premium users through payouts. The company had previously announced that it paid out $20 million to creators, and this figure remains unchanged according to the recent blog post.
Data Discrepancies and Analytics Reports
Data from various analytics companies, such as Apptopia, differ slightly from X’s own numbers. Apptopia’s reports suggest that users who use both Threads and X spent an average of 23.8 minutes and 31.1 minutes per day, respectively, when Meta initially launched the former platform. However, these figures have since dropped to 3.7 minutes and 16.9 minutes. Additionally, Apptopia found that U.S.-based X users spent an average of 20.6 minutes per day in September.
Monthly Active Users and Daily Active Users
X asserts that “half a billion of the world’s most informed and influential people” visit the platform every month, a statistic that remains unchanged from Musk’s announcement in September. Linda Yaccarino also recently mentioned that X boasts around 245 million daily active users. However, according to SensorTower’s data, X has experienced a 16% decrease in daily active users in September 2023 compared to October 2022.
Engaging Partnerships and Ad Revenue Decline
The blog post highlights X’s collaborative efforts, mentioning partnerships that provide free API access to The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) of New York and the National Weather System. However, it should be noted that these partnerships arose because the respective accounts had chosen to limit or end their update stream after X discontinued its free API. Despite X’s claim that advertisers are returning to the platform, Reuters reported earlier this month that ad revenue earned by X is on the decline.
Future Plans and Omissions
While the blog post briefly touches on X’s future plans, such as facilitating payments, it does not delve into the platform’s efforts in ensuring trust and safety. Regulators globally have expressed discontent with X’s approach in combating child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and misinformation. Crucially, the post also fails to address how X intends to address election integrity, especially with major elections occurring in the United States and India next year.
