Since Elon Musk took over Twitter, engagement with his tweets has increased significantly, growing much faster than his actual follower count, according to an analysis by Axios.

Why it matters: For Musk, owning Twitter, and using the app to present and defend his plans for the company, has energized his personal platform.

Details: The findings show that people are engaging more with Musk’s tweets than they were back when he was just another user.

• Compared to before he acquired Twitter, Musk's follower count has grown roughly 73%, while other types of engagement have increased between 100%–210%.
• Quote tweets have grown the most. Likes have increased the least.

Between the lines: The way in which people are engaging with Musk’s tweets is changing as well.

• The ratio of likes to replies in response to his tweets is on a steep decline, according to the data, suggesting users are more likely to reply to his tweets than in years past.

How it works: The engagement data pulled by Axios tracks Musk’s tweets, not including replies or retweets, across 2022. 

• It compares engagement during the period before he purchased Twitter, Jan. 1 to Oct. 26, to the period after, Oct. 27 to Dec. 4.
• The ratio data covers the period from Jan. 1, 2018, to Nov. 30, 2022, to get a wider view of the types of engagement with Musk’s tweets over time.

The bottom line: Musk has long been one of Twitter's most prominent users, tapping into a subculture of active internet users who use memes and inside jokes to communicate and transact.

• It's no surprise that Musk’s best-performing tweets from a ratio perspective, according to the analysis, tend to be memes or jokes, like this January 2020 meme about smartphones.