The Proportion of Online Adults Using Twitter has Quadrupled since 2010

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The results of a study into Twitter usage in the USA have revealed some interesting stats about the rise in usage of the social network, its top demographics and the devices it is most likely to be accessed on.

The study, conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, found that 15% of online adults use Twitter as of February 2012, and 8% do so on a typical day. This means the number of American online adults using Twitter on a typical day has doubled since May 2011 and has quadrupled since late 2010.

Demographics

The study also revealed some demographic statistics that could be very useful for digital marketers looking to streamline their campaigns, or even just those in the throes of deciding whether Twitter really is the right platform for their business.

The research team found that several demographic groups stand out as having high rates of Twitter usage relative to their peers:

• African-Americans — Black internet users in the USA continue to use Twitter at high rates. More than one quarter of online African-Americans (28%) use Twitter, with 13% doing so on a typical day.
• Young adults — One quarter (26%) of internet users ages 18-29 use Twitter, nearly double the rate for those ages 30-49. Among the youngest internet users (those ages 18-24), fully 31% are Twitter users
• Urban and suburban residents — Residents of urban and suburban areas are significantly more likely to use Twitter than their rural counterparts.

So if your brand is targeted at younger consumers (perhaps you're a new fashion brand looking to build awareness) Twitter is perfect for you.

Mobile Usage

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Twitter is huge on mobile. By its very nature Twitter is perfectly suited to updates on the go - it's quick and there's an extremely high turnover of content.

The study found that: "One in five smartphone owners (20%) are Twitter users, with 13% using the service on a typical day. By contrast, internet users who own more basic mobile phones are roughly half as likely to use Twitter overall (9% do so), and just 3% of these more basic phone owners are “typical day” users."