The Real Reason Why Elon Musk Is a Twitter Power User And how you can use his approach to boost your own social media profile.

By Nina Zipkin

Bloomberg

A whopping 16.7 million people follow Elon Musk on Twitter, where he shares his musings about how artificial intelligence is a danger, updates about progress at SpaceX and Tesla and, lately, jokes about selling merchandise for his latest venture, The Boring Company.

It's true that Musk is working on a lot of intriguing, high profile projects, but those aren't the only things that make the currently self-described "hat salesman," a Twitter power user. Stacy Minero, Twitter's Director of Brand Strategy, says that in addition to breaking news on Twitter, Musk is adept at using the platform to make his customers and fans feel heard.

Related: 23 Weird Things We've Learned About Elon Musk

"He responds to tweets from everyday followers, which just blows up Twitter because it's like an adrenaline rush when he responds to you. He takes advice," Minero explains. "[He] has this direct connection with users that that makes people feel special and makes them feel like there's a spotlight on them."

But that conversation also extends to actual change. Minero cited one interaction in which a Connecticut-based customer shared with Musk that people were using a Tesla charging station in the area for parking instead of simply charging like they were supposed to.

"[After that tweet,] he instituted a rule that you could charge for 30 to 45 minutes and after that you would incur a fee," Minero says. "So actually listening to feedback from customers as a way to improve either service or products. That's one of the things you can do on Twitter as a CEO, is use it as a live learning lab to actually improve products and services."

Who are some other CEOs and founders you like to follow on Twitter? Let us know in the comments.

Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

Starbucks Is Opening a New Location Next Week — And It Was Constructed with a 3D Printer

The 1,400-square-foot 3D-printed location will only handle drive-thru and mobile orders.

Marketing

Word-of-Mouth Alone Can Double Your Revenue Growth — Here's How to Turn Your Customers Into Brand Advocates

Customer experience isn't just about feedback — it's your biggest growth lever in 2025. Discover how turning customers into advocates can double revenue growth, boost conversions and maximize customer lifetime value.

Business News

Saying 'Please' and 'Thank You' to ChatGPT Costs OpenAI 'Tens of Millions of Dollars'

It's more environmentally friendly (and cost-efficient) to skip the niceties.

Growing a Business

No Sales Experience? No Problem. Here's How to Confidently Turn Conversations Into Revenue.

Here's a practical, no-fluff guide for founders who need to sell but don't see themselves as "salespeople."

Business News

Everyone, Including OpenAI, Wants to Buy Google's Chrome Browser, According to a Top ChatGPT Executive

ChatGPT's Head of Product was called to the stand in Google's hearing on Tuesday.