Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino has downplayed the reports of Twitter’s traffic tanking, following the launch of Meta’s Threads.
The new CEO of the Microblogging app on Monday took to her Twitter handle to disclose that last week, Twitter had its biggest usage since February.
She wrote via a tweet,
“Don’t want to leave you hanging by a thread but Twitter, you really outdid yourselves! Last week we had our largest usage day since February. There’s only ONE Twitter. You know it. I know it.”
The tweet attracted the response of Twitter’s Billionaire owner Elon Musk who responded by saying, “Cumulative user-seconds per day of phone screen time, as reported by iOS & Android, is hardest to game. I think we may hit a record this week”.
Cumulative user-seconds per day of phone screentime, as reported by iOS & Android, is hardest to game. I think we may hit an all-time record this week.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 10, 2023
Yaccarino and Musk’s comments are coming after reports suggested that Twitter’s traffic was tanking, following the launch of rival app Threads, which has continued to gain traction since its launch.
Meanwhile, data from web analytics firm Similarweb, reported that Twitter’s web traffic had declined 5% for the first two days Threads was generally available, compared with the week prior. Additionally, Similarweb said Twitter’s web traffic was down 11% compared with the same days in 2022.
Also, other data from IT Service Management Company Cloudflare, supported these findings, by displaying the decline in Twitter’s traffic.
This saw the CEO of Cloudflare Matthew Prince, posted a graph on his Twitter handle, showing radar rankings, where Twitter’s domain decline was visible.
Twitter traffic tanking. https://t.co/KSIXqNsu40 pic.twitter.com/mLlbuXVR6r
— Matthew Prince ? (@eastdakota) July 9, 2023
In the face of these reports, Yaccarino’s comment about Twitter’s record usage didn’t sit too well with some users and experts who found it questionable because the new CEO did not share any metrics to back up her claims.
Some experts state that it is unclear what Yacarrino means by usage, meanwhile, if she is referring to screentime, her post suggests that Twitter’s users are spending more time on the app, not that Twitter is gaining in popularity.
In a different twist, a post on Tekedia stated that no data shows that 200 million people migrated from Twitter to Threads. Rather, what happened was that more people will stop using Instagram to spend more time on Threads.
It is essential to consider that the number of sign-ups for Threads may not directly indicate the number of active users.
However, Meta’s Threads broke the record to become the fastest-growing app ever, gaining over 100 million users in less than a week.
This extraordinary achievement solidifies Threads as the preferred Twitter rival amongst other platforms, exceeding all expectations and setting a new standard for rapid growth.
Threads’ remarkable growth is revolutionizing the online platform scene. Its intuitive interface, smooth integration with Instagram, and departure from conventional timelines have resonated with countless users across the globe.
Meta executives however maintain that the intention of Threads was not to replace Twitter, but offer an alternative.
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri wrote on Threads after the launch. “The goal isn’t to replace Twitter, the goal is to create a public square for communities on Instagram that never really embraced Twitter and for communities on Twitter (and other platforms) that are interested in a less angry place for conversations, but not all of Twitter.”
Though Threads is off to a fast start, having leveraged Instagram’s social graph to quickly scale its user base and users’ social connections, the app’s long-term future remains uncertain.
Meanwhile, as Meta continues to refine and enhance the Threads app, it is poised to leave a lasting impact on the social media landscape.
