Twitter Alternatives

Business / By / July 5, 2023

Twitter’s alternatives include microblogging platforms like Mastodon and Gab, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and decentralized social networks like Steemit and Diaspora.

Microblogging Platforms:

  • Mastodon: An open-source decentralized social network.
  • Gab: A social network known for its focus on free speech.
  • Parler: A social network promoting itself as a free speech platform.
  • MeWe: A privacy-oriented social network.

Social Media Platforms:

  • Facebook: A leading social networking platform.
  • Instagram: A photo and video sharing social networking service.
  • LinkedIn: A professional networking platform.
  • Reddit: A platform for online communities and discussion forums.

Decentralized Social Networks:

  • Steemit: A blockchain-based blogging and social media platform.
  • Sola: A decentralized social platform rewarding users for their contributions.
  • Diaspora: A decentralized social network focused on user privacy.
  • Scuttlebutt: A peer-to-peer communication protocol for decentralized social applications.

Related Visual Stories To Twitter

Who Owns Twitter

who-owns-twitter
As of April 25th, 2022, Elon Musk tried to take over Twitter. Musk tried to purchase the company at $54.20 per share, or about $44 billion. While the deal hasn’t closed, Elon Musk is still the largest shareholder with 9.5% stock ownership, followed by Jack Dorsey, with 2.3% ownership, as the second-largest individual shareholder.

Twitter Business Model

how-does-twitter-make-money
Twitter makes money in two ways: advertising and data licensing. In 2021, Twitter generated $4.5 billion from advertising and $570 million from data licensing. While Twitter generated $5 billion in total revenues, it lost 221 million.

Digital Advertising In 2021

advertising-industry
The digital advertising industry has become a multi-billion industry dominated by a few key tech players. The industry’s advertising dollars are also fragmented across several small players and publishers across the web. Most of it is consolidated within brands like Google, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, Bing, Twitter, TikTok, which is proliferating, and Pinterest.

Related Business Model Stories

Google Business Model

google-business-model
Google is a platform and a tech media company running an attention-based business model. As of 2021, Alphabet’s Google generated over $257 billion in revenue. Over $209 billion (over 81% of the total revenues) came from Google Advertising products (Google Search, YouTube Ads, and Network Members sites). They were followed by over $28 billion in other revenues (comprising Google Play, Pixel phones, and YouTube Premium) and by Google Cloud, which generated over $19 billion in 2021.

Facebook Business Model

facebook-business-model
Facebook, the main product of Meta, is an attention merchant. As such, its algorithms condense the attention of over 2.91 billion monthly active users as of June 2021. Meta generated $117.9 billion in revenues in 2021, of which $114.9 billion was from advertising (97.4% of the total revenues) and over $2.2 billion from Reality Labs (the augmented and virtual reality products arm). 

Instagram Business Model

instagram-business-model
Instagram makes money via visual advertising. As part of Facebook products, the company generates revenues for Facebook Inc.’s overall business model. Acquired by Facebook for a billion dollars in 2012, today, Instagram is integrated into the overall Facebook business strategy. In 2018, Instagram founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger left the company as Facebook pushed toward tighter integration of the two platforms.

TikTok Business Model

tiktok-business-model
TikTok is a creative Chinese social media platform driven by short-form video content enabling users to interact and generate content at scale. TikTok primarily makes money through advertising, generating $4.6 billion in advertising revenues in 2021, thus making it among the most popular attention-based business models or attention merchants.

YouTube Business Model

how-does-youtube-make-money
YouTube was acquired for almost $1.7 billion in 2006 by Google. It makes money through advertising and subscription revenues. YouTube advertising network is part of Google Ads, generating more than $28B in revenue by 2021. YouTube also makes money with its paid memberships and premium content.

LinkedIn Business Model

microsoft-business-model
Microsoft has a diversified business model, spanning from Office to gaming (with Xbox), LinkedIn, search (with Bing), and enterprise services (with GitHub). In 2021, Microsoft made over $168 billion in revenues, of which over $52 billion came from Server products and cloud services, and $39.8 billion came from Office products and cloud services. Windows generated over $23 billion, Gaming generated over $15 billion, LinkedIn over $10 billion, and search advertising (through Bing) over $8.5 billion. 

Amazon Business Model

amazon-business-model
Amazon has a diversified business model. In 2021 Amazon posted over $469 billion in revenues and over $33 billion in net profits. Online stores contributed to over 47% of Amazon revenues, Third-party Seller Services,  Amazon AWS, Subscription Services, Advertising revenues, and Physical Stores.

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About The Author

Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
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