It was another eventful weekend for X, with the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump driving a surge in activity on the platform.
However, as always, it’s important to scrutinize the specifics.
A New Record in Usage?
Today, X owner Elon Musk claimed that the platform reached a new “record high” in usage. According to Musk, X saw a cumulative “417 billion user-seconds globally” in one day, which translates to an average of 27.8 minutes per user, based on 250 million daily active users.
While this is an impressive figure, it’s not quite as high as the 30 minutes per day that X reported back in March. This discrepancy raises questions about the accuracy of X’s previous data.
Digging Into the Numbers
To put it in perspective, 417 billion seconds is equivalent to approximately 6.95 billion minutes. This is notably less than the 8 billion minutes that X claimed back in March. Additionally, Musk’s claim of 93 billion user-seconds in the U.S. alone averages out to about 15.5 minutes per user, assuming 100 million U.S. users. This per-person usage is not particularly high, and the numbers seem inconsistent.
What Does It Mean for Advertisers?
From a marketing perspective, advertisers are primarily interested in knowing how many people they can reach, how long these people are engaged, and what content they are engaging with. However, X’s data seems to lack clarity and consistency, making it difficult for advertisers to make informed decisions.
The Need for Transparency
If X wants to maintain transparency, as Musk suggests, it should publish detailed usage data, including user demographics and engagement metrics. This would allow for a clearer understanding and broader scrutiny of its performance.
Conclusion
X remains a valuable platform for real-time news and events, especially compared to other platforms like Meta’s Threads app. However, its usage data needs to be more transparent and consistent to provide real value to advertisers and users alike. Until then, the true impact of X’s reported “record high” in usage remains ambiguous.
Stay tuned for more insights and updates on social media trends and data. At The Social Why, we’re committed to providing you with the latest and most accurate information to help you navigate the digital landscape.
Source: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/x-reports-record-high-in-usage/721419/
