For all of those focused on mastering the art of Twitter, thinking it an entryway into the hearts and minds of all the world's consumers -- think again: The majority of Twitter's traffic and content is created by just 10 percent of its users.
Those are the numbers gleaned from a study by the Harvard Business school. (Yeah, Harvard, we know. But, after all, it takes a preppy to catch a preppy...) The researcher, Bill Heil, a graduating MBA student, examined the activity of over 300,000 randomly selected Twitter users in May 2009 and found that over 90 percent of all Twitter activity is created by just 10 percent of the Twitter population. Per the study: "Among Twitter users, the median number of lifetime tweets per user is one. This translates into over half of Twitter users tweeting less than once every 74 days."
Typically something like: @CatLuvr Uh. What the hell is the point of this?
In other words, this research suggests that most people who test out Twitter get bored quickly and don't bother to keep up with it. This stat echoes the findings of another recent study by Nielsen, which showed that 60 percent of Twitter users drop off after the first month.
OK, so big deal. It's not unusual for a sampling of users to emerge as the most active on a social network (though the Harvard study claims that -- on typical social networks -- "the top 10 percent of users account for 30 percent of all production").
But, for Twitter, this definitely matters for two (2!) big (elephant-sized!) reasons.
For starters, consider the attention being paid to Twitter and to using the service to leverage one's business. The number of conferences, panels, reports, Webinars, awards ceremonies, and paid research dedicated to cracking the code of the Tweet is, at this point, beyond nauseating and -- if these stats are any indication -- rather pointless. Sure, on its face Twitter might seem like the prime platform to reach a boatload of consumers, but, as it turns out, it's more like a lifeboat. (And a sinking one, at that.)
Further, Twitter's executives -- as well as industry analysts and VCs -- have suggested that the company could eventually make money by charging business users for access to rich consumer data. But with only 10 percent of Twitter's users actually participating on the site, paying for such data is hardly appealing, and this revenue model won't work. Twitter might be able to claim hundreds of thousands of users and record-breaking traffic, but that's not the same thing as having a treasure trove of user data if 90 percent of the users aren't adding any value.
It's not surprising that the vast majority of people who test out Twitter grow bored and don't bother keeping an active account. But it is a huge problem for a company that plans to leverage its purportedly massive traffic and userbase to make money. Further, it's a testament to the fact that Twitter, like every other silly Web-service-turned-world-changer, is not all it's hyped up to be.
Hey nasimson. Your point is well taken. It points to the fact that a lot of Websites have inflated "active user" numbers. According to the study, Twitter's inactivity rate is higher than the other social networks, though I can't personally verify that right now. (Working on it, however.)
That said, though, the fact that Twitter is 90% inactive still seems problematic and it definitely suggests that the site isn't as popular as it's made out to be.
the first time I ever heard of twitter was when a friend told me how cool she thought it was and that I should sign up right away. So, against my better judgment, I created an account. You can count me as part of the people in the 80% that don't participate. I have never even logged in, basically because, I have never seen or felt a need to use it. And I have no urge to begin now.
I usually stay busy enough getting work done without writing a tweet to tell everybody else what I have done, or what I'm about to do next. I think I'll try to log in there and see if I can delete my account. there're enough twits out there already.
Nicole, this post alone does not draw the complete picture. Most ABC users dont use ABC. Fill in the ABC for any online application: Skype, Facebook, MSN Chat, ICQ etc. etc.
So stats for Twitter get a context only if you present similar stats for other Web 2.0 applications. Twitter being a category inventor has its larger share of onlookers, experimenters, bored & ditchers
This post is full of so many holes I'm not sure where to start??!!
First, 15% really, in a city who's motto is "If We Can Tax It, We Will..."?
Please, who's the source of that number -- surely not anyone who's living not only not in NYC, but the US as a whole...
Second, if the economic climate had anything to do with this, it would be to increase the output as those caught up in the trap would find they'd have plenty more time to "tweet" while going between job interviews -- but of course, the economic climate has "NOTHING" to do with it.
People are dropping Twitter because it's just another buzz-fad that's headed for the super-highway trash bin!!...
It's easy enough to explain this phenomenon: it's free. Easy to get, easy to ditch. What makes other free services better is that they don't get ditched all too easily.
I'm taking a group of Scouts on a cross country trip this summer. Using Twitter will allow one post to a site which will then distribute the info to people (parents) who subscribe. being able to do this with a text message from my phone is huge since I have free texting but have to pay for web access.
Twitter has it's uses, just not many for me.
Dave
I couldn't agree more. Twitter seems to have only a fraction of the usability that Facebook offers to keep in touch with your "peeps".
When I was first considering joining Twitter, I actually posted a status message on my FB page to ask my friends if any of them used it and when their thoughts were. The resounding response was that it was sometimes fun to "stalk" the celebrities but that it was redundant to FB. Therefore, I did not bother to join.
I think Twitter may have been a day late and a dollar short on this one! FB can easily become a way of life, whereas Twitter is more of something on a "To Do" list and let's face it, most of us have plenty of those already.
I notice that the tweeters who seem to succeed are consultants and media types who put substantial effort into creating a "brand" for themselves on Twitter. To do that takes time and effort. If you have a full-time job, it's tough to get into the loop.
That said, I find Twitter more engaging than Facebook because I get get less meaningless information (believe it or not); and it's easier to access and read (at least for me).
In the long run, though, as this trend wanes, my interest will no doubt wane along with it.
I also think that my desire to tweet strangely drops everytime someone new follows me. It's kind of like the adage that "I wouldn't be a member of a club that would have me as a member," but it's more like the fact I know my tweets would be lame and somehow, I'd feel better, tweeting lamely with no observers.
Technically, I know that makes no sense at all.
Then again, Twitter makes no sense to me at all, either. Everytime I think of a business-related Twitter possibility, I think of something that will accomplish the task better.
Mark, do you know what' s going on with social networking profiles? I mean, is it the same situation with non-used accounts as on twitter or blogs or people use them more ?
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