Chapter 6: X-ploring New Marketing

The platform we all knew as Twitter has gone through quite an adjustment with its new identity as X. Twitter, the birthplace of hashtags and viral tweets, officially rebranded in 2023 when its new owner, Elon Musk, decided to take the iconic social media site in a bold new direction. While I’m still getting used to calling it X, the platform remains one of the most influential for social media marketing. And with this transformation has come some fun new features that creative marketers can utilize.

The transition from Twitter to X wasn’t just a name change—it marked the start of a new chapter, introducing updated tools and features. One of the most exciting is X’s multimedia options. While Twitter was known primarily for its short-form text posts, X now encourages users to get creative with video content, polls, GIFs and images, all within a single post. For marketers, this opens up a vast amount of opportunities. Whether you're running a poll to engage your audience or creating short, snappy videos to promote a product, X’s multimedia capabilities offer diverse ways to capture attention and get creative with content.

Another standout feature is X’s Spaces—the platform’s live audio rooms. Think of Spaces like a podcast meets a live talk show, but anyone can jump in. While I haven’t fully explored Spaces yet, it seems like a powerful tool for marketers to connect with their audience in real-time. Spaces add a personal, interactive touch to the marketing process, creating a direct line between brands and their communities.

X also shines with its community-building features, which make it easy to connect with similar individuals. Whether you're jumping into a trending hashtag or participating in active discussions, X allows marketers to tap into niche audiences effortlessly. Engaging with these communities helps brands position themselves as active participants in ongoing conversations, adding a sense of authenticity that people value. Branded hashtags and collaborations within these communities often lead to viral campaigns.

Finally, there’s X Ads—the platform’s powerful advertising tool. With more precise targeting options than ever, marketers can reach their audience based on location, interests, behaviors and more. X offers a range of ad formats, from promoted tweets to video ads and even carousel ads, providing endless ways for brands to grab users' attention.

So, while the switch from Twitter to X might have thrown some people (like me!) off, the new name feels fitting for a platform that’s constantly evolving. For marketers, X offers a variety of features to experiment with, making it easier than ever to get creative and connect with audiences. Whether you're using multimedia content, running live Spaces, or diving into ad campaigns, X has everything you need to take your social media marketing to the next level.