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What’s Trending at Twitter?
Twitter is one of the largest social networks around. It is valued for up to date news gathering, keeping in contact with friends, market researching and promoting a business or idea.
Lab42 has conducted a survey to find out what motivates Twitter users to use the service and how the access it. Here are the results from that survey.
How often do you access Twitter?
• Multiple times a day – 37 %
• Daily – 33 %
• A few times per week – 19 %
• A few times per month – 5 %
• Rarely or never – 6 %
Twitter users are clearly an active bunch, since the majority access the service one or more times a day. The short nature of tweets and the real time stream of information, make Twitter a too you want to access lots of times each day, but in small bursts.
How do you usually access Twitter from?
• Twtter.com – 64 %
• Mobile App – 16 %
• Twitter Client (Tweetdeck, Hootsuite etc.) – 10 %
The main website is the preferred choice. But the number will slowly start to reverse between the site and mobile app, as Smartphone and tablet usage rapidly increases. A dedicated Twitter client will always have its place, but will probably remain a more niche too used by power users.
How often do you Tweet?
• More than Once per – 42 %
• Daily – 23 %
• A few times per week – 17 %
• A few times per month – 9 %
• Rarely/never – 9 %
As expected, since most users access the service often, they also send out tweets quite frequently. Some users may just read other people’s Tweets, but in total 65% send a Tweet at least once a day.
Why did you decided to join Twitter?
• A recommendation from a friend – 33 %
• To see what it was all about – 30 %
• I have lots to say and Tweet about – 17 %
• To follow brands or celebrities – 15 %
• For a class project or other requirement – 5 %
Recommendations and word of mouth only just managed to be the number one motivator to joining Twitter. Simple curiosity about the service was the next biggest reason.
How do you find new users to follow?
• Friend’s suggestions – 69 %
• Searching – 47 %
• Recommendations from Twitter – 44 %
• Promoted Tweets – 31 %
The social aspect of Twitter clearly puts suggestions from friends as the easiest way of finding new people to follow. Though many people do search to find something of interest or consider the recommendations generated by Twitter.
How many brands do you follow?
• None – 10 %
• 1 to 5 – 31 %
• 6 to 10 – 20 %
• 11 to 20 – 18 %
• 21 to 30 – 10 %
• 31 to 50 – 3 %
• 51 or more – 8 %
Most people do follow at least one brand or company on Twitter. Though, most people follow under 10 brands.
Why do you follow them?
• To get discounts – 66 %
• To participate in contests – 48 %
• To Read interesting Tweets – 47 %
• For Customer service support – 30 %
Everyone likes to get a good deal or a freebie, so it shouldn’t be surprising that getting discounts is the biggest reason for following a brand.
Final Thoughts
It will be interesting to conduct this survey in a year’s time and compare the numbers. Will user engagement go up or down? Will user motivations change dramatically or remain mostly the same? The answer to these questions will help determine how Twitter will expand in the years ahead.
Although millions of people visit Brandon's blog each month, his path to success was not easy. Go here to read his incredible story, "From Disabled and $500k in Debt to a Pro Blogger with 5 Million Monthly Visitors." If you want to send Brandon a quick message, then visit his contact page here.