So a couple of weeks ago, Elon Musk finally moved forward with his long-threatened promised purchase of Twitter. But so far, it’s been really difficult understanding exactly what this means. What does it mean for Twitter? What does it mean for the larger social media community? Specifically, what does it mean for how our clients communicate with their audiences via social media? Twitter is an essential platform for sharing promotional material and event updates in real-time and reliable fashion. So now what?
As expected, there’s already been a lot of change up in Twitter’s management. Musk took quick action to fire top executives under the auspice of creating a liberated platform, claiming that there will be “fewer limits on what content users can post.” Recently, Twitter has had issues with becoming a free-for-all for spam bots, something that Musk has claimed to want to rid from the platform. But what is confusing users is that he has not revealed exactly how any of this will be done. And true to form, his methods are a bit mysterious, if not downright cryptic. Musk claims he is not in it for the money, as evidenced by this tweet, but rather to “help humanity” by promoting free speech and vowing to get rid of fake accounts. Again, how? And what does it mean for the users?
Getting rid of fake accounts while doing away with permanent platform bans is a thin line to toe. If the new mission is to rid the platform of toxic content and misinformation while promoting free speech, what are the chances that honest accounts will bear at least a portion of the brunt? There could feasibly be an overwhelming amount of false content, creating a digital environment of skepticism and disregard for any account a user isn’t directly familiar with. Conversely, it could create new opportunities for established businesses to connect with new audiences as wary users begin to rely more and more on trusted brands.
For seasoned PR pros, promoting things like event activities, specification announcements, and member services, we have always taken measures to ensure that client accounts don’t get confused with “spam bots.” An environment of mistrust is not good for companies and organizations trying to reach new target audiences. So while this shift in ownership and policies is likely to cause some challenges – at least in the short term – it is also a great time for us all to embrace long-standing communication best practices and do our part to rebuild a platform where established voices can be trusted.
Understanding that our clients will have questions about how to move forward, the Nereus team will continue to monitor the situation and make strategic recommendations for appropriate social engagement. If you have questions, please reach out to us at info@nereus-worldwide.com.
Happy tweeting!