What is Twitter if not of center of pop culture and trending conversations?
While platforms like Facebook and Instagram have more users, Twitter’s audience is active, engaged and regularly participates in conversations about trending topics, making it a valuable channel for brands that want to connect with their audience to build a community.
To truly exploit the potential of this platform, you need to understand how people are using it. This means staying up to date on the latest Twitter stats and trends that can shape your approach.
Check out these 12 Twitter stats to inspire and guide your social media strategy this year.
1. Twitter continues to see an increase in profitable users
According to Twitter’s latest letter to shareholders, the platform currently has 217 million daily active users (DAUs). Earnable users are user accounts that can see ads on the platform.
While the number of monthly active users last reported was 330 million, the company has since changed its reporting metric to include only profitable users.
2. 50% of consumers use Twitter
According to Sprout Social’s Index, Edition XVII: Accelerate, 50% of consumers currently use Twitter.
It is also one of the top platforms consumers use to follow brands on social media with 36% of consumers doing so. This means there is an opportunity to build your brand on Twitter and establish your social media presence.
3. US users are the largest audience on the platform
Although Twitter sees a good amount of its audience coming from different parts of the world, it is most popular among American users. The latest report shows that about 77 million Twitter users are from the United States. Next comes Japan, with 58 million users.
These numbers prove that Twitter is an ideal marketing platform for brands that primarily want to target a US-based audience.
4. 58% of high volume users visit Twitter daily
Frequent tweeters or high-volume Twitter users are the biggest contributors to daily activity on the platform. A Pew Research Center report shows that users who have produced 20 or more Tweets per month over the life of their account are considered ‘high volume’ while low volume Tweeters produce an average of less than 20 Tweets per month.
The study below found that 58% of high volume users are likely to visit the site daily. Among these users, only 10% visit the site only once or twice a day.
5. Twitter is used more by people under 30 years old
This statistic shows that 42% of US adults aged 18-29 are the largest audience of Twitter users. Twenty percent of people in this age group visit the site every day, several times a day.
So if you’re wondering how to use the platform because you’re targeting a younger audience, these numbers are eye-opening. You can also use Twitter’s analytics tools to get a better picture of your audience distribution and see if you’re reaching the right people.
6. Entertainment is the most important reason people use Twitter
As a leading source of trending conversations on the Internet, Twitter is the go-to destination for people who want to be entertained. A Pew Research Center study found that 74% of American users are on Twitter for fun. And 42% say this is the most important reason for using the platform.
Staying informed, seeing different perspectives and connecting with other people are other top reasons for using the platform, especially for users over the age of 50.
This statistic can help shape your Twitter marketing strategy, showing that there should be a heavy focus on entertainment-based content as well as content that is informative.
Consider using social listening tools to see what your audience is talking about and what they’re interested in. Trending hashtags on Twitter can also give you an idea of what’s popular with your target audience to help you understand the types of content your followers want to see in order to improve your engagement.
7. Consumers want to see brands using Twitter more
According to the latest Sprout Social Index, Edition XVII: Accelerate, Twitter is one of the top platforms for marketers based on usage. Fifty-two percent of merchants are currently using the platform. At the same time, 30% of consumers want to see brands using Twitter more.
So if your brand isn’t on Twitter yet or you’re not using the platform, it’s time to change that. Twitter can give you the perfect platform to connect with your audience and build a community.
You can use the platform to entertain your audience and share content that resonates with them or even provide customer service and manage your brand reputation.
8. Twitter’s ad revenue grew 22% year over year
By the end of 2021, Twitter earned $1.41 billion in advertising revenue, resulting in a 22% year-over-year increase. This is mainly due to the growing demand of advertisers and the continuous improvements of the revenue product.
With better advertising tools available, advertisers are continuing to see the business value of Twitter. And if you’re not yet advertising on Twitter, you may want to retool your strategy to include Twitter advertising.
9. US advertising revenue exceeded international advertising revenue
With American users dominating the platform, it’s no surprise that most of the platform’s ad revenue comes from the US. In fact, US ad revenue far exceeds ad revenue from international markets according to the Letters to Shareholders report.
While international ad revenue reached $628 million, US ad revenue reached $785 million. Additionally, total revenue amounts are shown below.
This speaks volumes for the influence Twitter has on US advertisers. And the platform is worth a look if you plan to launch a social media advertising campaign.
10. Ads give Twitter users a sense of normalcy
If you’ve cut back on Twitter advertising over the past couple of years, you may want to revisit this strategy. In fact, Twitter reports that watching or listening to an ad helps 51% of people on Twitter to regain some sense of normalcy during the pandemic.
That doesn’t take away from the fact that you need to realign your brand voice and communications to fit the current times. Consumers still expect your brand to be situationally sensitive. According to the same report, 77% of Twitter Insiders feel more positively about brands that try to provide support during challenging times.
But how exactly can your brand show support? Eighty-two percent of Twitter insiders believe brands can play a role by supporting frontline staff. And 81% want brands to support vulnerable people in the community. Other ways your brand can help include supporting your local community, performing acts of kindness and sharing positive stories.
11. Twitter Preview gets more video watch time than other platforms
To cater to its advertisers, Twitter is constantly introducing new advertising tools and improving existing ones. One of the most effective tools is getting the First View, which shows your video ad to users as they start their Twitter session. This allows you to take advantage of prime Twitter real estate and put your brand in front of your target audience.
This is reported by Twitter The first view takes 1.4 times more video viewing time than competing platforms. This leads to our next statistic.
12. People spend more time looking at ads on Twitter compared to other platforms
What makes Twitter so invaluable to advertisers is the discovery and engagement mindset of its users. According to internal platform dataTwitter is the number one platform for discovery and people spend around 26% more time looking at ads compared to other major networks.
This proves that if used effectively, Twitter can be a powerful way to market your brand.
Making these Twitter stats work for your brand
From these key Twitter stats, it’s clear that the platform can play a vital role in your brand’s social media strategy. Of course, you still need to carefully plan your approach and use marketing tactics that will resonate with your target audience. Check out our comprehensive social media strategy guide to get started.
