Image: Unsplash
Twitter is a powerful social media platform that has stood the test of time and remains a popular choice for businesses seeking to promote their brand, interact with customers and drive engagement.
One of the things that sets Twitter apart is its pioneering use of hashtags, which has made it easier than ever for users to discover and participate in conversations around specific topics – and unless you haven’t been part of the online community for years, you’d know that this feature has become a defining characteristic of Twitter.
#IYKYK!
Plus, remember this Tweet that eventually became one of the most expensive NFTs? (We have a separate topic just for NFTs, so read those if you’re curious.)
This tweet was once worth $2.9 million. Image: Adweek
But if you’re a business owner or marketer, this is what you need to know: Twitter essentially provides an excellent platform for businesses to connect with their audience and reach new customers, which is why it is an essential tool for any successful social media marketing campaign.
Still not convinced enough? That’s okay, we’ve compiled an analysis of 30 key Twitter stats you need to know in 2023 to formulate an effective marketing strategy:
- Twitter has over 368 million monthly active users
Starting with the most important overview, in spite of its tumultuous acquisition politics last year, the social media platform still retains a significant number of active monthly users.
- 28.4% of Twitter users are between the ages of 35 and 44
Another key stat not to miss is understanding the audience on Twitter – typically their demographics. Audiences between 35 and 44 make up the highest chunk of Twitter users globally.
- Twitter ranked 14th out of the top 15 most used social media platforms in the world
Despite the emergence of niche social media and the continued popularity of TikTok, Twitter hasn’t fallen off the game even in 2023.
Twitter still is one of the most used social platforms in 2023.
Image: Data Reportal
- Barack Obama is still the most followed Twitter account
The former president of the United States is still very much at the top of minds of Twitter audiences with a staggering 133 million total followers.
- The United States has the highest number of Twitter users across the globe
Related to the stat above, the United States recorded the highest number of users on Twitter versus other platforms. This could explain Barack Obama’s huge following on the social media platform.
Most Twitter users are based in the USA. Image: Oberlo
- 57% of adults in the United States rely on Twitter for understanding current news
With the country taking the top spot as the traffic on Twitter, a survey by the PEW Research Center found that 57% of adults in the United States get an understanding of current events and news via Twitter, making it a very influential branding platform.
Users tend to get news from Twitter first. Image: Social Pilot
- Japan and India are close seconds
If you are an emerging brand penetrating the Asia Pacific market, it is valuable to determine the right channels to reach your audience. Twitter users are sizable in Japan and India, both unique and highly competitive markets of their own.
- Twitter accounted for 16.64 percent of the social media market in the Asian region
Hot off the press in February 2023, Twitter saw a huge boost to its share of voice in the Asian region as compared to just over 7.5% in 2022.
- No tweets in China
If you’re thinking of reaching an audience in China, then Twitter isn’t the place for that as the social media platform is still currently blocked in the country.
- Twitter’s advertising reach grew by 27.4% in 2022
The social media platform is seen to continue growing from strength to strength over the past couple of years, with further predicted growth into 2023.
- Did you know that more than 80% of world leaders are on Twitter?
A platform of its own kind, this hashtag playground is favourite social media for political leaders from all around the world, as seen by Barack Obama’s continued stronghold on Twitter.
- Journalists make up over 25% of the verified accounts on Twitter
Where the politics go, naturally the journalists follow. If your business or brand typically targets this subset of the audience, it’s crucial you have a good idea of their social media behaviour.
Twitter is a good platform to reach journalists. Image: Neal Schaffer
- 63% of Twitter users are male
With this information, you would be able to look into your overall approach – from tailoring the right content to determining if your product is relevant at all for advertising on Twitter, knowing it is predominantly male.
- The most followed brand account on Twitter is YouTube
As ironic as this may seem for another social media platform to sit as the most followed brand account on Twitter, YouTube has over 73,900,000 followers on Twitter.
YouTube is the most followed brand account on Twitter.
Image: Logos World
- Twitter’s First View outperforms competing platforms on video viewing time by 1.4×
According to Twitter themselves, this video marketing feature has revolutionised the way brands communicate and advertise on the platform, which has brought them significantly closer to rich-media platforms out there like TikTok.
- Twitter reported that users spend 26% more time on the platform to view ads versus other platforms
Advertising on Twitter comes in many forms, with the simplicity of the overall platform interface making it a seamless experience for users to consume ads as they browse through the platform.
- Running an ad on Twitter is fairly cheap
According to Hootsuite, Twitter’s average CPM is $6.46 as compared to platforms like Pinterest, for example, which goes around the benchmark of $30.00 CPM.
- More than one in five tweets include an Emoji
Be sure to accentuate your tweets with emojis. Image: Smartprix
Twitter is all about expression – embellish your content with the right emojis to really speak to your audience and make your point stick.
- 80% of Twitter users access the platform via mobile devices
The majority of Twitter users access the platform through their mobile devices, making it essential for businesses to optimise their Twitter content for mobile viewing.
- 79% of Twitter users leverage the platform to engage with brands and businesses
Given it’s two-way communication setup, Twitter is a great platform for brands and businesses to facilitate real-time conversation and engagement with its followers and audiences.
Brands should take advantage of Twitter. Image: Twitter Agency Playbook
- The average Twitter user spends around 5 hours on Twitter monthly
Hootsuite's research reveals that on average, Twitter users spend a total of about 5 hours per month on the platform, noting the rapid exchange of news and communication on the platform.
- Twitter ads have an average CTR of 1 to 3%
This is higher than Facebook’s average CTR of 0.119%, depending on the advertising criteria.
- 40% of Twitter users have purchased from a brand they follow on the platform
This finding from Twitter highlights an interesting point to consider in your marketing strategy – if engaging an influencer on Twitter would be the best way to boost your brand reach and sales.
- Weekdays are the best time to post on Twitter
Don’t pray and spray – research found that Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays are the most optimum days of the week for you to put a post out and reach your audiences, based on the level of engagement you’ll stand to gain on these specific days.
Weekdays are the best days to post on Twitter. Image: Sprout Social
- Tweets with GIFs get 55% more engagement
Including Gifs alongside your tweets can boost engagement by 55% and are a highly popular choice for expressing emotions and reactions on social media.
- Twitter is forecasted for a 1.8% growth in 2023
Despite its tumultuous 2022, the social media platform is still expecting an upwards movement based on long-term observation and forecasting as reported by Hootsuite.
Twitter users only continue to grow. Image: Hootsuite
- A large majority of football fans are Twitter users
Twitter reported that a survey that was conducted and saw over 68.6% of people on Twitter said they regularly watch, follow, or have an interest in football – making it a surefire platform for your brand or business if this is your target audience!
- 67% of B2B marketers use Twitter
While B2C brands leverage Twitter to connect directly with consumers, B2B marketers are able to utilise the platform as a more interpersonal alternative compared to other social media.
- In Q2 of 2022, Twitter’s advertising revenue totaled $1.08 billion
This is an increase of 2% which means that brands and businesses are still pumping in money (and seeing the fruits of labor) from using Twitter as an advertising medium.
- Branded hashtags get you 10% more engagement
According to data from Twitter, incorporating branded hashtags in Twitter ads can increase their attention rate by almost 10%. This highlights the importance of using branded hashtags as part of your social media marketing strategy to improve your overall brand awareness and drive engagement.
What does it mean for you?
Being present on Twitter can make a huge difference for your brand.
Image: Unsplash
As a marketer, being aware of these stats can help you shape an effective Twitter strategy. However, a key component of your campaign's success is the content behind it.
A good content strategy can heavily influence the engagement levels and effectiveness of a marketing campaign in the following ways:
- The quality and relevance of the content shared on Twitter can greatly impact engagement levels.
Twitter users are more likely to engage with content that is interesting, informative, and adds value to their feed. As a result, businesses that invest in creating high-quality and engaging content are more likely to see higher engagement rates, increased brand awareness, and better overall performance on the platform.
Outsource content design for your Twitter feed to Brandripe
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Speak to the team at Brandripe to find out what other benefits you can reap. Image: Brandripe
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