Social media is an integral part of any business marketing strategy. However, to develop an effective plan, it’s essential to know who uses the platform of your choice. Below are the most relevant statistics about Twitter that will help you understand the network and its trends.
Top Twitter Statistics: Editor’s Choice
- 10% of Twitter accounts post 80% of the tweets.
- Twitter accounts have 707 followers on average.
- Around 500 million tweets reach the network every day.
- 65% of the most active Twitter users in the US are women.
- Over 70% of the global Twitter users are men.
- Tweets with images get 18% more clicks.
- Ads on Twitter can reach around 339.6 million people.
- 54% of B2B businesses use Twitter for marketing.
Twitter by Numbers: The Financial Aspect
Twitter’s revenue is increasing year-over-year, mainly due to the growing mobile application promotion and brand advertising revenues. So, here is everything you need to know about the economic development of Twitter.
1. Twitter’s annual revenue reached $3.72 billion in 2020.
Twitter is among the biggest networks worldwide. Its highest quarterly revenue was $1,289 million in Q4 of 2020. However, the third quarter of 2021 came close as profit reached $1,284 million.
Most of Twitter’s revenue comes from advertising, followed by data licensing.
2. Twitter had a growth rate of 15% in total ad revenue in 2020.
Twitter’s ad revenue reached $808 million in the third quarter of 2020. Previously delayed product launches and revisited events drove up the figure.
Moreover, the company improved the advertising experience for brands. For example, new ad formats and customizable “like” buttons with animated brand imagery significantly increased the total revenue.
3. Twitter’s net worth is around $35.5 billion.
A company’s worth is calculated by its market capitalization or the current stock price, multiplied by the number of shares. However, it also depends on factors, such as revenue and profit, so market prices change daily.
After reaching $61.31 billion in February 2021, Twitter saw a significant decrease in net worth in the last quarter of the year.
Twitter Users by Year
Twitter began as an SMS service, and its first significant development was in 2007 when all tweets started hitting the network in real-time. Twitter’s user base is still growing, mainly due to the company’s improvement efforts.
4. There were 330 million monthly active users on Twitter in 2019.
At the beginning of 2018, Twitter was at an all-time high with 336 million monthly active users, followed by a decrease in the following year. Moreover, the company introduced a new user reporting metric—monetizable daily active users (mDAU) in 2019.
Currently, Twitter has 211 million mDAU worldwide, the highest figure in the last few years.
5. Among the interesting facts about Twitter is that 10% of its users publish 80% of the posts in the US.
Evidently, the large majority of tweets in the US come from a small group of people. That indicates that the most active profiles use Twitter at least once per day. On the other hand, the median user posts two tweets per month.
6. The average number of Twitter followers is 707.
As Twitter does not reveal such information, an analysis of 96 million profiles was made to draw this conclusion. It showed a 340% increase from 2012 when the average user had 208 followers. Alternatively, 391 million accounts have no followers.
7. 98% of UN member states’ leaders have a presence on Twitter.
State leaders use Twitter to notify the public of new measures and other information in real-time. The Government of Nepal was the most responsive and active world leader on the platform in 2020, followed by the Dutch government.
8. Almost half of Twitter active users posting about the pandemic are bots.
About 45% of the accounts spreading messages related to the COVID-19 pandemic behave like bots. Analysis shows that the goal of these automated profiles is to cause a division and dispute among US citizens.
9. The number of Twitter users is expected to grow to 340.2 million by 2024.
This figure represents Twitter users that log in to the platform at least once per month. Statistics point to a 2.4% yearly increase in user base in 2021, followed by a steady rise in the next few years.
10. Twitter gained 5 million daily users in the last quarter of 2020.
Twitter is not losing users in 2021. In fact, the company expects its user base to rise by 20% and total costs and expenses to increase by 25%. This development is partly due to the ban of the former US president, Donald Trump, from the platform.
11. Barack Obama is the most followed person on Twitter, with nearly 130 million followers.
Second in popularity on the platform is the singer Justin Bieber, with 114 million followers. Celebrities use Twitter to communicate with their fans, share news regarding their work, and build their public image.
12. The US has almost 78 million Twitter users in 2021.
The US has the highest number of Twitter users by country, which comes as no surprise given its size and the population’s tendency towards using social media. Japan and India follow, with 58.2 million and 24.45 million, respectively.
Twitter Usage Statistics
Twitter might not be the most visited platform among social media users, but still, many people use it daily. Twitter’s numbers have been gradually increasing as it has proven to be an effective channel to launch a brand or connect with friends.
13. 46% of Americans on the platform are daily Twitter users.
The number of US adults on Twitter has been rising over the past few years, despite the controversies, fake news, and censorship on social media. Unfortunately, out of the leading social media platforms, Twitter has the smallest percentage of daily users.
Similarly, UK Twitter statistics for 2021 reveal that 43% of people use the platform several times a day, and 19% use it once a day. What’s more, 15% log in once a week.
14. 500 million tweets are sent each day.
Due to Twitter’s popularity, the number of posts is overwhelming. More precisely, 6,000 posts appear in the feed every second, adding up to 50,000 tweets per minute or 200 billion per year.
15. In 2020, the “COVID19” hashtag was used around 400 million times on Twitter.
“COVID19” and variations were the most used hashtags during the pandemic. Twitter facts reveal that the second most popular hashtag in 2020 was “Black Lives Matter” following the death of George Floyd.
16. The emoji with tears of joy is the most used one on Twitter.
Twitter usage statistics show the “tears of joy” emoji remains the most popular one on the platform after a slight decline during 2021.
The “loudly crying” emoji was the most used in March, but since then, the “heart” emoji has been the second most used.
17. Twitter statistics show it is the sixth-ranked mobile app in the world.
The ranking is calculated based on the number of monthly active users worldwide, excluding China. Twitter is the top platform in Japan, with 64.1% of users. In fact, over a quarter of all Twitter users live in the Asia-Pacific region.
Twitter Demographics: Age and Gender of Active Users
TikTok and Snapchat are the most popular social platforms among the younger generation, but Twitter also has an audience that it appeals to. Take a look at the following statistics to find out more about its users.
18. 65% of the most active Twitter users in the US are women.
Data on the demographics of Twitter users indicate that of the top 10% of the most prolific Twitter users by the number of tweets, 65% are women. Women also account for 48% of the less active profiles.
19. 25% of US adult men use Twitter.
YouTube and Facebook are the most popular online platforms. Their user base is more representative of the overall population. However, Twitter follower demographics show that one in four men in the US is active on the platform.
20. Twitter is most popular among users aged 18–29.
The average age of Twitter users in the US indicates that 42% of Millennials and Gen Z are active on the platform. About 27% of those aged between 30 and 49 use Twitter, and people over 65 are the least represented, with only 7%.
21. Twitter demographics for 2021 show that 22% of white people in the US use Twitter.
Almost a quarter of the US population is on Twitter. An analysis of the platform’s user base shows that 29% of Black and 23% of Hispanic people have accounts.
22. More than 17% of the global Twitter users are over 50 years old.
Data on Twitter age demographics indicates that the most represented group on the platform is between 25 and 34 years old, with 38.5% of the user base. However, Twitter still appeals to a more mature audience compared to Snapchat and TikTok.
23. Over 70% of the global Twitter users are male.
Research into Twitter’s gender demographics shows that this social media is significantly more popular among males. Furthermore, men are the predominant gender group on every platform besides Snapchat.
Twitter Marketing Statistics: Ads, CTR, Reach
Advertising and data licensing are key Twitter operations. The platform has an extensive user base, and it has become the go-to source for brands that want to improve their online presence by publishing promotional materials.
24. Around 65.8% of US companies with over 100 employees use Twitter.
Twitter stats reveal that over half of the businesses with over 100 employees have an account for marketing purposes. Nevertheless, LinkedIn remains the most business-oriented platform with over 55 million listed companies.
25. Tweets with images get 18% more clicks.
Adding images to tweets is a great way to make them stand out in the sea of content. Twitter facts reveal that these posts get 150% more retweets. Moreover, images with rich, saturated colors can increase engagement rates on Twitter ads.
26. The average Twitter user follows five businesses.
Twitter statistics show that its fast-paced content style makes advertising challenging, but it provides great social media engagement.
Furthermore, about 60% of people who follow brands are likely to recommend or buy their products, making it an excellent option for small and medium enterprises.
27. Around 80% of Twitter users have mentioned a brand in a post.
Twitter followers statistics prove that brands are an important part of the conversation—people follow companies they like and engage with them a lot. They also keep up to date with the latest news, product updates, and special offers.
28. Ads on Twitter can reach around 339.6 million people.
Ads on Twitter can reach an enormous number of people. From a marketing perspective, this indicates how beneficial Twitter can be for the advertising revenue of most businesses.
29. Time spent viewing ads is 26% higher on Twitter than on any other social media platform.
People spend more time viewing ads on Twitter than on any other platform, according to Twitter statistics for 2021. When thinking about which platforms to use for running social media ads, Twitter’s reach is something you should consider.
30. Over half of B2B businesses use Twitter for digital marketing.
Research on how many people use Twitter to advertise their business worldwide indicates that 54% of B2B marketers use the platform. However, Facebook and LinkedIn are the most popular choices, with 89% and 81%, respectively.
Twitter Statistics: The Takeaway
Twitter has the shortest post-life span of all social media platforms—about 15 to 20 minutes—and a challenging limit of 280 characters. Therefore, you need to be familiar with the relevant statistics to optimize your strategy.
Such data can show you how popular the platform is, what key Twitter demographics you need to consider, and which businesses use it the most. That can help you implement Twitter in your marketing strategy and take advantage of its potential.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Twitter losing popularity?
Twitter adopted the idea of microblogging—letting people share their opinions in just a few characters. Consequently, its popularity won’t decline any time soon because it’s the go-to platform for reading and reporting real-time news.
However, Twitter experienced a steady decline in popularity between 2012 and 2018. It lost around 100 million users, and the number of daily tweets dropped by 200 million. However, it still has a strong presence, especially in the US.
The company switched the monthly active user (MAU) metric to monetizable daily active users (mDAU) count to measure the activity accurately.
How many tweets are sent per day in 2021?
Tweeters share around 500 million posts every day. It’s a popular platform with millions of active daily and monthly users. People use this social media to discover brands, share news stories, products and experiences. Its users are primarily located in the US, followed by Japan and the UK.
What is the average number of followers on Twitter?
The average number of Twitter followers is 707, which is a 340% increase from 2012.
Some tips that can help increase your numbers are following people and asking them to follow you back, posting interesting information for a wide audience, tweeting at least a few times a day, using hashtags, including images in your tweets, etc.
What age group uses Twitter the most?
Twitter has been growing in popularity among both younger age groups and adults. Regardless of your target audience, Twitter allows marketers to target ads based on different demographic characteristics. The largest age group on Twitter are people between 30 and 49.
Which country uses Twitter the most?
Studies indicate that Twitter users are not equally distributed around the world—the largest portion of users is in the US, followed by Japan. Many developing countries such as Brazil, Turkey, Mexico, and Indonesia often use Twitter.
90% of US social media users report they’re familiar with the site. Japan has a huge portion of Twitter’s market, with 45.75 million users.
Who has the most Twitter followers in 2022?
Twitter allows instant and direct communication between celebrities and their audience.
The former US president, Barack Obama, has the most-followed Twitter account with over 130 million followers. Currently, he tweets about his new activities, such as the Obama Foundation.
With 114 million followers, Justin Bieber is the second most influential person on Twitter, followed by Katy Perry with 108 million.
What percentage of Twitter users never tweet?
Twitter has a ton of profiles, but not all of them are active. In fact, a high number of people have created an account and then abandoned it. According to a report, almost 44% of Twitter accounts never posted a tweet.
Moreover, of all users, almost half tweeted more than a year ago. Twitter is different from other social platforms, and many people value the platform for information, not communication.
How much does Twitter advertising cost?
With a huge advertising audience, Twitter is an effective and free advertising tool. Plenty of paid opportunities allow marketers to target their chosen audience, automate their bids, and promote their business.
These ads allow brands to get online visibility and attract more followers and click-throughs. The ad cost varies for every brand based on their specific aims, strategies, types of ads used, billable actions, the bid amount, and the available budget.
How often should you post on Twitter?
Social media marketers face the dilemma of how often they should post on a specific platform to connect with followers without driving them away. They need to optimize their social media schedule to balance between sharing and replying.
Twitter statistics show that the optimal posting frequency to get the best engagement is three tweets per day.
Sources
Brandwatch, Content works, Emojipedia, Emoji Tracker, Hootsuite, Hootsuite, Hubspot, Internet Live Stats, Kickfactory, Macrotrends, NPR, Oberlo, Pew Research, Pew Research, Social Media Today, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Twitter, Twitter, Twitter, Variety
