Having been on Twitter since 2008, even though this is being published in 2024, I still prefer to refer to the network as Twitter, and not X, and therefore the title of Twitter User Statistics. While the platform has gone through its changes with new ownership, it still plays a role in today’s social media marketing.
If you ask me what social network I recommend to B2C companies for their social media marketing, it would be Facebook, Instagram, and/or TikTok followed by Pinterest and/or Twitter. For B2B businesses, it would be LinkedIn followed by Twitter or Facebook. Clearly it’s easy to lose sight of Twitter for marketing amongst newer and sexier rivals. But as a 2nd or 3rd social network for A/B testing, I will always recommend Twitter and its unique user base as an option. I hope after checking out these Twitter user statistics, you will also see why and how you can use Twitter in your B2B marketers efforts.
Furthermore, for those that have seen me speak, you know that Twitter, like Instagram, gives you the ability to engage with other users as if you were a person and not a business to prompt user growth – a fact that prolific tweeters take advantage of. This means that, unlike Facebook or LinkedIn, company accounts can do a lot more using organic social media without necessarily paying to play, although Paid Social will help accelerate B2B content marketers’ efforts on any platform.
While it’s not as sexy as TikTok, Twitter continues to be in the news thanks to its new owner. While some might have left the platform, it still has plenty of very active social media users to warrant your interest.
At the same time, there are a lot of people who think that Twitter is passé. After all, the platform doesn’t have huge member numbers in relation to other social networks. However, as we will see from these Twitter user statistics, there’s a lot more to this story and Twitter’s role as a digital marketing tool. In fact, Twitter is as influential as ever, especially as it leverages its value as one of the few places people can openly discuss politics – and anything, really.
Twitter user statistics basics: Demographics
Like many social media networks, Twitter has a wide variety of people using the platform, from female internet users still attending school to older internet users eager to follow their favorite politicians. Granted, there are many fewer Twitter members than Facebook members, but Twitter’s demographics are very interesting. Let’s take a look at a few key numbers for Twitter’s social media statistics.
1. There are over 540 million monthly users. (source)
The number of people using Twitter on a monthly basis is about the same saturation as LinkedIn. Like LinkedIn, Twitter is an older social network that’s had plenty of time to mature.
Also, keep in mind that:
2. 238 million of these monthly users log on every day and can be monetized. (source)
Monetizable daily active users (mDAU) are users who are actively engaging with a platform. Growing mDAU is a reliable indicator of a platform’s continued growth and usage, making this statistic an important one to help develop content and develop a Twitter strategy. While Twitter is often pushed to the side in favor of flashier, more visually-rich platforms, the average user on Twitter requires more know-how, and adult users are typically not going to Twitter to see spam messages and a slew of ads. This means that you can use the series of sentences and phrases on Twitter to connect with your audience, set yourself apart as an authority, and continually engage with a growing group of active users.
Note that the 238 million users represents a 16.6% year-over-year growth for 2022.
Furthermore,
3. There are 95.4 million MAU’s from the United States. (source)
Statista points out that the second and third-highest numbers of active users come from Japan and India, respectively, and there seems to be a steady quarter increase in these numbers. It’s worthy to note that the first two countries have a very high average income, and are among the most internet-connected in the world.
It’s also noteworthy that,
4. 23% of American adults use Twitter. (source)
While this is definitely not the huge number of adults who use Facebook or Instagram, that’s still a lot of active users (and potential customers) for you to reach through the platform. Lastly, it’s worth mentioning that the influence of Twitter goes far beyond just Twitter demographics. Unlike Facebook, Twitter sees a lot of people viewing its pages and racking up video views who don’t have an account, or who aren’t logged into their account when checking it. One reason for this is the hugely influential people who have a Twitter presence, as well as the concise nature of posts, which makes Twitter unique among other social platforms.
As a result,
5. There are over 500 million Tweets sent per day (source)
500 million Tweets per day adds up to quite a lot of engagement. Whether you are Katy Perry announcing a new album, or a parent talking about local news, your target audience is relying on you to keep them up-to-date and continually engage on the platform. That being said, with so many Tweets going out each day, make sure that you aren’t simply adding to the noise; make sure that your Tweets stand out among those 500 million, and continually be sure to engage your target audience and provide helpful or relevant content.
6. 63% of Twitter users identify as male, and 37% identify as female. (source)
Knowing the general state of genders and their Twitter habits can help inform your marketing strategy, as it can help you determine how to most effectively tailor your marketing efforts to your followers. Knowing that the majority of Twitter users identify as male can inform the style and tone of your tweets to maximize your marketing potential.
7. The largest Twitter user age group (38.5%) are aged 25 to 34. (source)
Like most social media platforms, Twitter’s audience relies primarily on a younger crowd. That isn’t to say that all Twitter users are within the general age group of Justin Bieber, but does suggest that content needs to remain relevant to a group of people you may not initially consider when creating content or linking to various print and video ads. While you do not have to modify everything you create to “fit in” with this particular demographic, it is important to recognize that nearly 40% of the Twitter audience falls within the ages of 25 to 34, and occasionally or frequently catering to that demographic can help improve your Twitter numbers.
Further Reading: 11 Ways to Use Twitter Polls for Marketing (with Examples)
Twitter user statistics show its users are influential and affluent.
This particular set of Twitter statistics seems to be largely independent of the national origin of each user. While it’s definitely true that in developing countries only the better-off have internet access consistently enough for social media usage, we must remember that wealthy countries also have the most users on social media platforms like Twitter.
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With this in mind, here are the raw Twitter user statistics:
8. 83% of world leaders use Twitter. (source)
I’d be interested to know if “world leaders” includes local politicians, but we do know that national-level leaders from most countries are represented in Twitter demographics. Where else would you find Kim Jong Un? Most avenues of communication are restricted for North Koreans. Iran has some movers and shakers here, as does China and Russia. This is one reason why controversy is allowed on Twitter. This allowance means that world leaders have a place to express themselves somewhere that the entire world can easily access–a Twitter strategy that is frequently employed with both disastrous and beneficial results.
9. 79% of Users Utilize Twitter As a News Site (source)
It should come as no surprise that so many Twitter users follow journalists; almost 70% of adult Twitter users say that they use the platform as a news site. Because Twitter is used globally by heads of state and journalists alike, many of its daily users check in to stay up to date with the goings-on in the world.
10. 42% of People Who Use Twitter in The U.S. Have College Degrees (source)
Twitter has garnered something of a reputation over the years as a gathering place for people who possess more intelligence–or at least a higher level of education–than people on other platforms. While Facebook and Instagram have long been overrun by young people–think teenagers–sharing their day-to-day lives, the structure of Twitter did not initially lend itself to use from younger age groups and those without something specific to say. Understanding that Twitter advertising revenue and audience numbers do rely upon sounding at least somewhat educated can help inform your Twitter strategy and develop content that will be respected and trusted.
11. 41% of Twitter users earn $75,000 or above (source)
In a somewhat similar vein, Twitter users are also largely people in a higher income level than some other social media networks. While it is not quite the vast majority, at 41%, it is a significant enough number to understand how and when Twitter can be useful for your company. While some other platforms may be the place to focus on discounts and deals, Twitter users’ income brackets may allow for more focus on your higher-end products or services, or may appreciate a lesser focus on price and a greater focus on solutions and features.
12. 53% of people of Twitter users are more likely to be the first to buy new products (source)
Not only are there a good number of affluent users on the platform, but they tend to be early adopters of new products. Twitter usage statistics suggest that over half of Twitter’s audience consider themselves trailblazers or tastemakers. Knowing this is incredibly important to determine what your brand or company’s active usage looks like on the platform. By featuring your products’ innovative features, or demonstrating your brand’s commitment to superlative manufacturing, customer service, and more, you can connect with the portion of Twitter users who focus their energy on finding new, better products and ideas, and make connections with people who are on the upswing of trends.
It is easy to conclude that Twitter members are real movers and shakers in society and take full advantage of the connection their mobile device provides.
Further Reading: Twitter Influencers: How to Find and Connect with Them
Want to improve customer service or your company reputation? Use Twitter.
Given that the most influential people are often on Twitter, it stands to reason that their opinion of your company is really important. Unlike most social media platforms, however, Twitter can be used both for sponsored posts/ads and for customer service applications for B2B businesses and other models. You’ll see a bit of customer service on Facebook, but not generally on the other social media sites.
So, it’s not surprising that,
13. 66% of American companies with 100 or more employees use Twitter for marketing. (source)
To be sure, that’s probably not quite as many as the ones that use Facebook, but there aren’t as many users on Twitter, either. Plus, with Twitter, you really have to keep maintaining your account and continuing to send a certain number of tweets per day to remain relevant.
14. 80% of Twitter users view Twitter on mobile devices. (source)
When developing ad campaigns, it is vital to make sure your linked sites are properly developed for mobile devices. If your audience is primarily viewing your Twitter page via a mobile device such as a phone or tablet, make sure all of your weekly newsletter blasts, site pages, and shopping pages are appropriately formatted to function optimally on mobile devices.
15. 47% of American Twitter users prefer culturally relevant brands. (source)
If you’ve read corporate Twitter feeds lately, you’ll probably see that a lot of them use the platform to announce their latest corporate advocacy efforts. For example, some cosmetic companies pride themselves on environmental friendliness, vegan ingredients, or a refusal to engage in animal testing. Tweets on this sort of topic are common in the beauty industry, along with product launch announcements. In other industries, you might see a car manufacturer bragging about their latest environmental ratings. Major influencers like Elon Musk are well-known for bragging about their company’s corporate citizenship priorities and many adult Twitter users appreciate these peeks into business practices.
16. 85% of American small businesses find Twitter indispensable for customer service. (source)
One of the advantages of Twitter over some other platforms for customer complaints like Yelp is that the business has an easy way to respond. All an unhappy customer has to do is direct their tweet at the business’ Twitter account. Likewise, Twitter users are the types of people who like to broadcast their thoughts in real time. As every savvy business owner knows, there’s no time like immediately after a customer complaint to deal with the issue. After all, you don’t want hard feelings to fester and grow.
Which leads me to the final Twitter user statistic in this category:
17. 77% of Twitter users say they’re more positive about a brand after the brand responds to their tweet. (source)
To me, this statistic reflects the reality that customers love individualized attention. After all, nothing says “we care” like spending the time to read and respond to customer feedback. Yet this isn’t all that these responses can do for you: other people get to see how much you care about customers. Pretty cheap public relations, don’t you think?
Further Reading: How to Conduct Your Own Twitter Audit for Free
Twitter is effective as advertising, too.
Although these other Twitter user statistics are useful in understanding both the potential audience and the benefits of Twitter business account usage, it’s also important to know that Twitter is a great place to advertise, as well. Keep in mind that Twitter adverts can include regular tweets, in addition to video content and links to other websites, among other things to develop stronger relationships with your target audience and customer base.
18. Almost 6% of the entire world population (over the age of 13) can be reached via Twitter ads. (source)
While 5.8% may not seem like a substantial figure, almost 6% of the entire world’s population is a large pool of people. Twitter’s reach may not, at first glance, seem as large as other social media platforms, but the engagement rate is solid and regular Twitter users are considered more affluent than the individuals who utilize other networks, making it an excellent place to carry out a digital ad campaign.
19. Average Twitter Ads ROI is 40% Higher than Other Channels (source)
When I gave my example of A/B testing over multiple social networks at the beginning of this post, this is the type of test I will do with clients: Spread ad spend over multiple social networks and compare apples and apples. This statistic, straight from Twitter, is a powerful one that hints at the potential ROI from using its ads platform.
Perhaps this is why
20. 40% of Twitter users purchase a product after coming across it on the platform. (source)
This is a staggering number! Fans among Twitter users, statistics suggest, are willing to purchase a product they have discovered on the platform. This means that while you are creating your Twitter marketing strategy, focusing on unique features, innovation, and education, you can rest assured that your audience is taking note and provided that your product actually fills a need, your audience is statistically likely to make purchases. While engagement may be higher and easier to come by on other platforms, the users on Twitter are more invested in the products and businesses that they follow. Make sure you pay close attention to what your audience wants and needs, and adjust accordingly.
21. People spend 26% more time viewing advertisements on Twitter than other platforms. (source)
While Twitter may not be the first platform you think of when you think of ads, statistics show that Twitter users actually spend 26% more time viewing ads on Twitter than on other platforms. Although the precise reason behind this has not been identified, the demographics using Twitter suggest that the higher amount of time spent on ads might be intentional, when someone is working to make a decision regarding a product, service, or company. Understanding the willingness of an audience on Twitter to view ads can help you develop a marketing strategy for the platform that focuses its time and energy on delivering authoritative, reliable content that touches on an audience’s need for innovation and improvement.
Further Reading: Twitter Advertising: 18 Tips to Set You Up For Success
Overall, the takeaway is that Twitter users tend to be affluent, influencers or world leaders, and young. They like to tweet to project their own thoughts, and discover those of others. At the same time, they love to interact with their favorite brands.
Which of these Twitter user statistics convinced you to take tweeting more seriously?
Further Reading: 13 Best AI Twitter Generators for Tweeting
Hero photo by Edgar on Unsplash
Thank you for sharing this, Neal! This is so incredibly interesting. 83% of world leaders utilize Twitter? Wow, talk about social media influence. I am a journalism grad student, and it has come up in our classes that Twitter is primarily used by journalists and media professionals. The stat that almost 25% of verified accounts belong to journalists definitely backs up the claims made in my classes. Twitter is a unique platform, that’s for sure.
It really is Scarlett – and if you want to be covered by the media, it is the perfect place!!!