The Association of Cultural Enterprises will no longer operate its profile on X (formerly Twitter), it has announced, citing among its decisions a “misalignment of values”.
The trade body, which promotes best practice in commercial enterprise in the cultural and heritage sectors will leave its profile open but will no longer post or interact with users.
Tom Dawson, Director of Digital, said the decision to leave Twitter/X is “grounded in a conscientious evaluation of the platform’s evolving landscape.
“Safety concerns, editorial changes, and a misalignment of values prompted us to seek alternative platforms that better serve our mission and audience. We know we’re a small fish in a big pond, but it felt like the right thing to do.”
The organisation said it will concentrate on growing its following and engagement on LinkedIn and Instagram, where Dawson said social media engagement was also higher.
Asked if cultural and heritage organisations should also leave the platform, Dawson told Advisor: “…whilst we’re not we’re not advocating that other organisations have to follow our lead per se, the best advice we can give is to be honest.
Life After Twitter: a plan for museums and heritage organisations
“We thought long and hard about leaving the platform but the current levels of toxicity and lack of moderation were no longer aligned to our values as a collaborative, inclusive and accessible association whose principles are to share best practice across the cultural and heritage sectors.”
“The clue is in the name, it’s social media, so have a conversation with your audience, be bold, and have confidence in your decisions.
“We have an excellent course in our online Academy on how to write a digital strategy which is a great place to start thinking strategically.”
Active users of the platform have fallen from a high of 368.4 million in 2022 to an approximate 335.7 million in 2024, according to figures from Statista.
