Facebook and Twitter are two of the most popular social media platforms.
They also have similar features.
Considering their similarities, you may wonder if Facebook owns Twitter.
Here’s everything you need to know about Twitter and whether Facebook owns it.
Does Facebook Own Twitter?
No, Facebook does not own Twitter.
Twitter has a number of shareholders who have some level of ownership in the company.
Two of the biggest shareholders are investment firms.
They include Morgan Stanley Investment Management and Vanguard Group.
Elon Musk also put in a bid to buy Twitter.
Facebook does not own Twitter and they are instead competitors in some capacity.
Did Facebook Buy Twitter?
No, Facebook did not buy Twitter.
However, they did try to buy Twitter on two occasions.
The deal never went through, and Facebook was unable to buy Twitter in the end.
Here are a few reasons why Facebook did not end up buying Twitter.
1. Associated Costs
One of the reasons that Facebook did not buy Twitter is that the company found that the costs associated with running Twitter were too high.
Like any other business, there’s always some cost associated with remaining operational.
That cost might come in the form of employee payroll.
It might be in the form of marketing costs to further reach audiences and bring them to Twitter.
It may even come from material costs associated with the manufacturing of products or services.
Twitter likely has a few costs associated with labor, data, and messaging fees.
Facebook may have seen those costs and decided that it couldn’t afford to take them on.
Since running a profitable business requires you to make more money than you’re spending, Facebook may have realized that the costs associated with running Twitter would have put them too far in the red.
As such, Facebook chose not to buy Twitter.
2. Uncertainty Of Growth Potential
Another major reason Facebook didn’t go through with buying Twitter is that they were uncertain of how much growth the site would experience.
Twitter has a very specific purpose.
Its users can post status updates and short messages.
It has since grown to include things like sharing photos, GIFs, and videos, but it was first a platform where users simply updated their status for their followers.
At the time that Facebook intended to buy Twitter, the company wasn’t sure if Twitter could grow much further beyond what it already had.
The company wasn’t sure if Twitter could introduce new features that would continue to attract more users to its base.
Without growth, the platform would likely die since other social media platforms would take its place.
Since Facebook wasn’t certain about Twitter’s growth, it decided not to move forward with buying the company.
3. Twitter Wasn’t Ready
A final reason why Facebook couldn’t buy Twitter is that Twitter wasn’t quite ready to sell.
While they were curious about offers, Twitter was still relatively new when Facebook approached them about an acquisition.
The company hadn’t been operational for long enough to determine the kind of revenue that it could generate.
As such, the company wanted to see the potential revenue that it could generate first.
After all, it could very well be that the company could generate revenue far beyond what Facebook was offering.
In the end, it was to Twitter’s benefit to stick to its guns and see how the platform would perform.
Twitter has become an extremely popular social media platform over the past few years.
Facebook was unable to buy Twitter because Twitter wasn’t quite ready to sell.
How Are Facebook And Twitter Similar?
Facebook and Twitter are competitors of one another.
They’re competitors because they’re both trying to appeal to users from the same audience.
Since they’re competitors, that means that they offer services that are similar to one another.
Here are a few ways in which Facebook and Twitter are similar to one another.
1. Status Updates
One of the biggest ways that they’re similar is that they both utilize status updates.
One of the first things that Facebook became known for was its status updates.
Users were able to tell others what they were doing.
It was a way to keep them connected to friends and family.
Their friends could also post on the status and begin a conversation.
Twitter also utilizes status updates, and this is the main thing that the site offers.
Facebook went on to introduce other features, but Twitter is still focused on status updates.
You can direct message on Twitter, too, but it’s really all about posting updates via your status and interacting with others on it.
Twitter does have some of the same features that Facebook has when it comes to reacting to a status.
You’re able to post a GIF, like a status, and share it.
One difference is that, on Twitter, you’re also able to re-tweet a status which essentially means that you’re sharing someone else’s status and replying directly to it.
It’s a way to quote someone, then respond to what they’re saying.
The fact that both Facebook and Twitter use statuses as one of their main features is why they’re competitors and why they’re similar.
2. Private Messaging
Facebook has a few ways that its users can interact with one another.
When users want to have a private conversation, they’re able to directly message one another in a private chat.
Facebook Messenger is the main tool used for private conversations.
It allows users to share photos and links as well as speak with one another.
Facebook also implemented a video messaging feature that allows its users to start video calls from within Facebook Messenger.
It’s a great way to talk with one person or to start a private chat for a group discussion.
Twitter also has private messaging.
You can choose to Direct Message someone which lets you privately message another Twitter page.
It also lets you control who can message you.
For example, you can limit who can message you to mutual followers.
You’re also able to limit how many direct messages you get in a day.
Once your messages reach that cap, people are unable to send a direct message.
Twitter does not have a video call function, however.
It’s only for text-based conversations.
You also can’t send direct messages to a big group.
Messages on Twitter are only between two people.
Those differences aside, both Facebook and Twitter offer private messaging.
3. Brand Awareness
A final way that Facebook and Twitter are similar is that they allow businesses to build their brands on their sites.
Both social media platforms are great places for building brand awareness.
Businesses on Facebook, for example, can have their store directly attached to the platform.
They can even utilize Facebook Marketplace to sell their products directly.
Many independent business owners will use Facebook to create a page for their business.
This allows them to share contact information, post photos of products or services, and include any information about the business that they wish to include.
This is a great step for smaller businesses that need to slowly build up their resources.
A business owner who is using their own funds to start the business, for example, might use Facebook because it’s free to post their business information on the site.
They can then contact groups on Facebook that they believe might have an interest in their products or services and start to market themselves.
Facebook also allows customers to contact businesses with questions or complaints and even post reviews.
This allows the business to quickly respond to its customers.
Twitter is also a great place for building brand awareness.
While it doesn’t have quite as many features as Facebook, businesses on Twitter can link to their official website or store.
Because of the nature of Twitter, brands are also able to quickly respond to customers or engage with their customers by posting statuses.
Both Facebook and Twitter are ideal for businesses because they help them build brand awareness.
Why Is Twitter So Popular?
Twitter’s popularity has exploded over the years.
It’s been able to market itself to all types of people, be they businesses, celebrities, or casual users.
Here are a few reasons why Twitter is as popular as it is.
1. Ease Of Use
One of the reasons Twitter is popular is because it’s easy to use.
Twitter keeps its features simple.
It hasn’t expanded to offer new features like so many other social platforms.
Instead, it’s doubled down on what made it great in the first place.
For example, while Facebook may be trying to change to gain favor with users from TikTok, Twitter has more or less stayed the same.
It hasn’t implemented video creation software, for example.
You’re still only able to post statuses and message people.
That said, it has transformed itself to make posting statuses more enjoyable and interactive.
By modernizing its main feature instead of trying to implement new ones, Twitter has kept itself an easy-to-use social media platform.
Its users write simple messages and post them.
From there, users can do a few more advanced things if they choose.
For example, they start to get into mentions and hashtags to bring more awareness to their posts.
They might include polls, GIFs, or links to push traffic in a certain direction.
That’s all secondary, however.
At the end of the day, using Twitter is extremely easy to use which is appealing to people who don’t have the time or desire to figure out how to use a social media platform.
2. Celebrities
Another reason Twitter is a popular social media platform is that celebrities also use it.
Twitter has a unique feature that other social media platforms have adopted where they verify a person’s identity.
This ensures that users know that certain celebrity pages are actually run by the celebrity.
Celebrities enjoy using Twitter because it’s fast and easy.
It allows them to quickly update their fans on certain aspects of their life.
Some even use it to tease new projects that are coming up.
Twitter gives fans a chance to interact with their favorite celebrities.
For example, if the celebrity allows it, fans can comment on the post.
They can also like the post to show their approval of it.
Fans can even make their own post about a celebrity, mention them in it, and then have the possibility of the celebrity seeing the post and liking it.
While it’s a small thing, it can certainly make a fan’s day.
Once celebrities started using Twitter, it was only a matter of time before their fans did, too.
Besides celebrities, influencers also have their own Twitter pages.
YouTube celebrities and streamers often have pages as well.
Since they tend to have large followings, it means their fans are likely going to make Twitter pages as well so they can follow them and engage with them.
Twitter is popular because celebrities of all types use it to interact with fans.
3. Ideal For Networking
When someone wants to network, one of the first places they’ll probably visit is LinkedIn.
They may not think about networking with people on Twitter.
Unfortunately, they’re missing a great opportunity since Twitter is also a popular networking platform.
Whether it’s to find employment or simply find someone to help with a project, Twitter is a great place for networking.
Even if the person you want help from isn’t available, they can easily get you into contact with someone who might be available.
It’s also a great place to share your work.
If you’re a creative professional, for example, then you can publish your artwork on Twitter.
You can use hashtags to bring further attention to your posts.
Others might see your posts and want to hire you for commissions or other projects.
It’s also a great place to post product pictures or bring attention to new products that you’re releasing.
Twitter is popular because professionals can use it to network with one another.
4. News Outlet
For better or worse, some people also use Twitter as their main source of news.
That’s because a lot of news channels and publications have Twitter pages.
When they release a new article, they also publish it on Twitter.
Twitter might select popular articles to then broadcast to those who have an interest in the subject the article is about.
Whenever there’s breaking news, you’re usually the first to know about it thanks to Twitter’s trending searches.
You can quickly click on a subject that’s trending and get real-time updates.
For example, if there’s an earthquake, then there’s probably going to be a lot of people Tweeting about it.
This will make the subject trend, and if it trends high enough, then you can see it in the “Trending” section.
You’re then able to click on it and learn what’s going on.
As such, Twitter is a powerful news source for both independent news and national news.
It’s popular because people can use it as a news source without needing to subscribe anywhere else.
NEXT: When Does Taco Bell Serve Lunch? (2023 Updated)