comScore recently released a fascinating analysis of Twitter’s users; some of the figures were impressive but not surprising, while others were completely unexpected.
It comes as no surprise that Twitter’s growth figures are incredible, with more than 10 million visitors to Twitter in February this year – a 700% increase when compared to February 2008.
Yet as large as the numbers are, they are more or less what we would have expected. What is surprising, however, is the breakdown of these figures. According to the article, the traditional social-media early adopters (18 – 24 years old) are 12% less likely to visit Twitter. The most common age groups are the 45 – 54 year olds, closely followed by the 25 – 34 year olds.
In the interest of pursuing the truth through rock-solid analysis, I asked a total of three 18 – 24 year olds, all of whom use the web extensively, and actively use a variety of different social media networks. All had heard of Twitter, none had an account, and none were too sure of what exactly it is.
While asking a total of three people is far from scientific, it does fit with the figures put forward by the article, which reinforces the idea that Twitter’s popularity is in spite of an older user base. It appears that older people can set trends too.
This immediately brings two issues to mind. To my mind at least.
Firstly, when you see a new Twitter account, invariably the first few Tweets are variations of “So what do I do now?”, “Help, I don’t know what to do!” and “Where are all the people?”. Might this be because of their (aka our) ages? Admit it – it takes you longer to work out how to use new software nowadays, right?
Secondly, assuming Twitter can get their older users past their initial “there was no need for Twitter back when I was a child” resistance (older people hate change), there’s a serious benefit to be milked here. Older people have more money.
The age groups most popular with Twitter have far more disposable income than their younger generation, which suggests that Twitter might have a great opportunity here. As old fashioned an idea as it is, Twitter could actually make money. Instead of just hurling ads at people who can’t afford what you’re offering, Twitter could offer a means of putting your product in front of people who to some extent ‘get’ new ideas and technology, and also have the means of purchasing them.
I for one can’t wait for Twitter to start selling ad space, but they better start doing so soon. I suspect they’re more or less at the top of their popularity curve right now, so the time is ripe. I hope they don’t miss their chance.
Twitter Traffic Explodes…And Not Being Driven by the Usual Suspects!
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