The impact of Donald Trump’s Twitter ban is something that many are still trying to unpack and understand. Most recently, Apptopia, a leading mobile app data and analytics firm, conducted an analysis to get a better understanding of the effects of the ban. Their results were eye-opening, showing how Trump’s absence from the platform has led to significant changes in user engagement and decreased revenue for the company. Apptopia’s analysis provides an insightful peek into the potential long-term implications of the ban and the impact it has had on the social media platform. From a decrease in active users to a decrease in revenue, Apptopia’s analysis gives us a deeper look into the impact of Trump’s Twitter ban.
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Impact on User Engagement
One of the most glaring impacts of the Twitter ban is a decrease in engagement from Twitter users. Engagement is defined by Apptopia as the percentage of users who tweeted, retweeted, replied or liked content from a given user’s tweets. Before the ban, engagement for President Trump’s account was at an average of 6.46%. After the ban, engagement for the same account has dropped to 2.86%. The drop in engagement is likely due to a combination of factors, including a reduction in followers. President Trump’s Twitter followers dropped by two million in the days following the ban, likely due to the fact that Twitter started to remove and shadowban accounts that were violating their terms of service. Twitter’s decision to remove followers from the equation will likely have an impact on the ability of President Trump’s to reach his base and spread his message.
Decrease in Active Users
Another potential impact of the ban is a decrease in the number of active Twitter users. Active users are defined as the number of users who have either logged in or visited the site in the last 30 days. Before the ban, President Trump’s account had an average of 6,469,848 active users. After the ban, that number has dropped to 3,827,957. As with engagement, the decrease in active users could be a result of a variety of factors. The reduction in users could partly be due to President Trump’s inability to attract new followers.
Decrease in Ad Revenue
Ad revenue is something that many are concerned about as a result of the Twitter ban. As it turns out, those concerns may be justified. Apptopia’s analysis shows that after President Trump’s Twitter ban, ad revenue for the company decreased. The drop in ad revenue for President Trump’s Twitter account is significant, with a decrease of 70% from an average of $82,906 per day to $26,307 per day. The decrease in ad revenue is not surprising given the significant drop in active users. The fewer individuals who are logged into Twitter, the fewer ads that can be served to them.
Implications of the Ban
The Twitter ban may have significant implications for President Trump and the company itself. For President Trump, the ban could result in a decrease in influence, which, in turn, could impact the amount of followers and overall support he receives. The ban may also lead to a decrease in President Trump’s online presence. Currently, Donald Trump’s Twitter feed, @realDonaldTrump, has over 53 million followers. The President’s presence on the social media platform has given him an unprecedented ability to reach his followers and supporters, as well as the general public. Without the ability to post to Twitter, President Trump’s ability to connect with these individuals may be reduced. For Twitter themselves, the ban may not be good news. The company’s stock price has fallen 14% since the ban and may continue to fall as a result of the drop in active users, ad revenue and significant drop in President Trump’s followers. The drop in followers and users may impact the level of engagement on the platform as a whole, which could lead to a reduced likelihood for investors to buy shares in Twitter.
Impact on the Social Media Platform
Another potential impact of the Twitter ban is on the social media platform as a whole. With a significant reduction in active users and ad revenue, Twitter may see a drop in overall engagement and the ability for the site to drive significant traffic. The drop in President Trump’s Twitter followers may also affect the general public’s trust in the platform. When someone logs into Twitter, they are likely to see fewer tweets from President Trump, which may decrease trust in the platform as a whole. Trust in social media has been declining in recent years, with many individuals citing fake news as a leading factor in this decline. A drop in President Trump’s Twitter followers may add to the sense that fake news is prevalent across social media platforms. To combat this, Twitter may take additional steps to stop fake accounts from gaining followers and reduce the amount of fake news that appears on the platform.
Conclusion
The impact of President Trump’s Twitter ban is something that many are still trying to understand. The decreased engagement and ad revenue from President Trump’s account may indicate that the ban has had a significant impact on the social media platform. While the ban may be good for President Trump and his administration, it may be bad for Twitter as a whole. Ultimately, Twitter’s decision to ban the President may have a negative impact on the social media platform as a whole and its ability to drive ad revenue and engage their users.
