X or LinkedIn: Which platform is better for your personal brand?

You may have heard that X, formerly known as Twitter, is introducing a feature that allows users to find jobs on the platform. From recent concept images that were shared, we can see that users will be able to repost job listings and share them in DMs. This is a big move from a platform that was primarily text-based only a few months ago. 
 

X (Twitter) has always been a great platform to share opinions and build a community of like-minded individuals. From a personal branding standpoint, we can see how useful it is. Now that it’s challenging LinkedIn's dominance as a platform for professional networking, let’s explore which platform would work best for your personal brand. 
 

Depending on what kind of relationships you want to build with your audience and/ or fellow professionals within your industry, you need to determine which platform works best for you. Let’s analyse both so that you can see which platform aligns more with your brand goals.

On X, it is easy to share a wide variety of opinions on news and topics. Generally, you will gain followers because they see value in your content, whether it’s humorous, educational or even controversial. You have the option to follow people back if you would like to develop an online relationship and see more of their content. On X, there is a higher chance that your content may be followed by bot accounts that don’t add value to your audience. 

On LinkedIn, you can form closer connections with professionals working in your field by sending them connection requests. This will allow you to foster deeper professional connections. When in LinkedIn creator mode, you can also gain followers. Followers are people who share an interest in topics you discuss and may want to learn more about you and your brand. With this system in place, it is easier for LinkedIn users to determine their audience, filter the type of information they want to consume and who they want to get it from.
 

Your brand should be present on a platform where you can create content that is unique to your target audience and engage with more people who are interested in your industry. Two key factors that help you measure this are the types of content you post and the analytics available for you to see how your content is performing.
 

Your content can be shared when people repost it, with or without their own thoughts, or if they leave a comment under your original post. It has always been a primarily text-based platform, so naturally text-based content performs better. This is followed by posts with images that have a significantly larger number of reposts than videos do. 
 

X has been making changes to its analytics page since Elon Musk took over. The external page is more difficult for users to navigate to, but you can use it to see account analytics. Due to changes being made, some metrics are not visible and the beta platform seems to be unresponsive for users. You can still see individual post activity on your posts.
 

Your content can also be shared when people repost, with or without their thoughts, leave a comment or even just react to it. LinkedIn’s tools allow you to upload a wide range of content types so you can show thought leadership in your field. 
 

While on LinkedIn’s creator mode, you can easily access your analytics through your profile and get an insight into how your content is performing. This will help you to understand your audience better and know what type of content they respond to the most. 
 

You can also use third-party tools to gather analytics for both platforms. For example, Vulse’s analytics tool allows you to see your LinkedIn analytics on your dashboard and easily monitor your progress.
 

This is the big one and the truthful answer is that it depends on where your audience is. 
 

X has a massive existing user base, which makes it a great platform to quickly reach a broad and diverse audience. You can engage in real-time conversations about current events, trends, and news that will allow you to show you’re staying relevant.
 

You have the opportunity to be more informal on this platform. By showcasing your personality, sense of humour, and voicing opinions, it will be easier to connect with a wide range of users.
 

When it comes to networking, X enables you to connect with people directly. Engaging with them can help you build valuable connections and gain insights.
 

Originally known as a professional networking and personal branding platform, LinkedIn has seen massive growth over the past couple of years. It is now also a place where people from different industries and communities can come together to share experiences and expertise. While showcasing your professional achievements and expertise, you can also find and connect with people who share similar interests.
 

Due to the reputation the platform has built with over 900 million users, and counting, LinkedIn's professional environment adds credibility to your personal brand. On this platform, you’ll find your audience, recruiters, potential employers (or employees), and even potential business partners. You can connect with fellow professionals in your industry and foster meaningful relationships.
 

We can see that both platforms offer their own unique advantages when it comes to building your personal brand. With a wide reach, opportunities to engage with people in real-time and position yourself as a thought-leader, they do share similarities. 

With some uncertainty surrounding X’s future and reliability at the moment, LinkedIn wins this round for us. With consistent feature updates and additions to create a more inclusive, accessible platform, the platform is showing commitment to progression. It is the place to be if you are aiming to build a strong personal brand.