Who really uses Twitter? And why?

Jake Widman
Thursday, 04 June 2009 03:43

Your IT - Home IT

New research into Twitter usage uncovers some surprising facts about who's on the much-hyped social network and how they're using it.

Earlier this week, at Twtrcon '09 in San Francisco, the Participatory Marketing Network (PMN) release the results of a study conducted in partnership with Pace University's Lubin School of Business.

Unsurprisingly, the study found that 99 percent of consumers between the ages of 18 and 24 (so-called Generation Y) had active profiles on at least one social networking site.

More surprisingly, only 22 percent of the same group said they used Twitter. Of those, 85 percent follow friends, 54 percent follow celebrities, 29 percent follow family, and 29 percent follow companies.

"This is a classic 'glass half full' scenario for Twitter because it’s clear that Gen Y has an appetite for social networking, but still hasn’t fully embraced micro-blogging," said PMN co-founder and executive chairman Michael Della Penna.

From the point of view of a marketing firm, the study is a sign that there's a huge opportunity in getting that group more active on Twitter.

But with mobile devices and texting dominating Gen Y's social networking activities (the study found that 38 percent have an iPhone or iPod Touch), the question has to be, what's Twitter's attraction for that group?

Especially in light of another recent survey that found that Twitter has become more of a broadcast medium than a true network of peers.

For more on Twitter usage, see Page 2.