How to leave Twitter
A few weeks ago, a client expressed her interest in expanding services with me to include copywriting for her Twitter account. I was excited to help expand her reach, take a task off her plate, and continue working with her. This was right before the dumpster ignited and when it did, we had to reevaluate our priorities and the way to move forward.
Your reason is a good reason to leave
In my professional opinion, Twitter is an effing dumpster fire. And it's only going to get worse. I've read a lot of opinions on this from communications professionals. You should be part of the solution! There are more good people than bad! If we all leave, we let the baddies win!
No one should be faulted for not wanting to see the deluge of garbage that is coming out of the woodwork. No one should be faulted for not wanting to be confronted by white supremacists whenever they open the app. No one should be faulted for not wanting to help a billionaire -- who could do a lot of good for the world, but refuses to do so -- get richer.
Hate speech is rising
In December 2022, the New York Times reported that slurs against Black Americans surfaced on Twitter an average of 1,282 times a day and more than doubled a day after Elon Musk’s acquisition. Hate speech against gay men appeared on the platform an average of 2,506 times a day before Musk threw billions of dollars in the trash. After, use skyrocketed to 3,964 times a day. Antisemitic posts increased more than 61 percent after Musk’s purchase.
I cannot and will not advise a client to stay on a platform that is allowing such vitriol to take over. I will not subject a client to abuse in the name of SEO or marketing.
Letting your Twitter account go dormant vs. deleting your Twitter account
There are good reasons to stay on Twitter. Maybe you spent years cultivating your following and are holding out hope that Musk will leave. Another option is to keep your account but refrain from actively tweeting. I recommend protecting your tweets and tweeting to your followers about why you’re no longer using the platform. Pin that tweet to the top of your profile and make sure to set a reminder on your calendar to log in once every six months. If you neglect to log in, Twitter may mark your account as inactive and shut it down. Of course, Twitter is breaking down from from the inside out, so the previous protocols and processes that were once in place may no longer apply.
On the other end of the spectrum, deleting your Twitter account will help send a message that you are unhappy with the leadership and management of the platform. It’s worth noting that deleting your account comes with a few risks: your handle will be available, you will lose your followers, and you will not be able to recover your account. There is strength in numbers and if you take this route, there are a few precautions that will help you exit the platform smoothly.
Before you leave Twitter
🔥Tell your followers you're leaving and where to find you. If you've spent years building an audience, try to convert as many followers as you can to a newsletter/new platform safely. Don’t post your email address, but rather, ask them to DM you for it.
🔥Give your followers a week or so to follow you on a new platform.
🔥Download your data from Twitter. It should take approximately 24 hours, though it took about two weeks for my client to receive hers. Do not delete your account before you have that zip file.
