What is X?

X is essentially Twitter rebranded. Billionaire Elon Musk purchased the social mobile network in 2022 following a contentious battle for ownership from its original owners and made some changes.

The main changes on X are the makeup of the user demographics and in how accounts and information are vetted on the platform. Many of the checks and balances meant to create a safe and secure place to converse on Twitter were removed to create a more open and unmoderated space on X.

However, the fundamental tools and functionality of X are similar to Twitter. X continues to be used as a source of local, national, and international news, particularly breaking news, as well as a platform for companies and individuals to share their own news and information.

Can X be used effectively for your small business?

X’s rapid-fire communications style, and the speed with which posts or “X’s” disappear from one’s content feed, can be confusing or frustrating to a new user. Once you get the hang of X, the platform can be a place where you build your brand, showcase your expertise or product offerings, and drive traffic to your company website or online store.

To get the most out of X, start by following individuals, companies, and media on the platform to access content that provides value to you. Whether it is headline news, industry updates, tips and advice, or inspiration, the content published by the accounts you choose to follow will appear in your X feed, so choose wisely and strategically. When you follow trusted sources of information, you can then share their content with your X followers with confidence.

Three ways to access X are through the X iOS or Android mobile app, through the X website, or using a social media management tool like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, or Buffer.

Some key things to do on X to get started are to:

• Listen. “Listening” on X consists of paying attention to what people are saying about you, your company, your brand, and topics related to your industry and community. You do this by searching X for relevant keywords and reviewing the search results. For example, if you are a dentist, search X for your name, your practice’s name, and words and phrases such as “dentist,” “teeth cleaning,” and “cavity” along with your geographic location to find out what local X users are discussing related to aspects of your business.
• Respond. X can be useful as an online customer service tool if you have the resources to monitor it and to respond in a timely manner. X users may reach out to you in a private message or post something publicly. As with many social media platforms, people tend to use their accounts to both compliment and complain so be prepared to address potential issues.
• Survey. Ask questions of your followers and get answers to anything from technical questions to current events to feedback about your company. Create an X Poll, a feature that inserts a simple poll into your post. Use X Polls to ask a single question that can provide useful marketing data. For example, if you own a florist or gift shop, you could ask, “What special occasion are you shopping for in the next month?” to reveal who might be interested in doing business with you.
• Share. In addition to posting your own content, share content from other X accounts to augment your messaging. Sharing other people’s content can help you establish connections and get on their radar. They could end up following you and sharing your content in return.
• Promote. Market your products or services in posts. Add visuals to attract attention and links to drive traffic. If you have the budget, use X’s self-serve advertising platform to reach a wider audience,

Here’s how to get started on X:

• Set up your account including a profile photo and a short bio (160 characters or less). Add a link to your website in the designated link field. You can also include links and hashtags within the text of your bio if they fit. Add your geographic location.
• Customize your X account page. You can add a header or “banner” and a profile image. Check how the page looks on both the web and on mobile devices to make sure your profile image doesn’t cover up any important parts of the header.
• Follow other people to see their tweets in your X feed. They, in turn, can follow you back if they choose to do so and see what you post. There are no rules obligating them to follow back.
• If both parties follow one another, X elevates you from “followers” to “friends” meaning that you both have permission to Direct Message or DM one another to communicate privately. You can also turn on a feature that lets anyone DM you through your X account instead of restricting access to just your X “friends.” As a business, this feature helps make you more accessible, especially for customer service.
• Address a message to someone publicly using the @ sign in front of their X handle such as @janedoe or @localreporter. If they follow you or have open Direct Messages, then you can contact them privately with a DM.

There is no single right way to use X, but you should consider keeping your business and personal X accounts separate. As with any social networking, carefully consider what you post to your personal X account, even if it is set to private, because it could reflect on your company.