Richard Nevins MA Candidate, Global Communication Annenberg School for Communication University of Southern California Wednesday, April 22, 2009

The Purpose of the Survey The Survey was Intended to Address Four Questions: 1. Who Uses Twitter? (Demographics) 2. How do they Use Twitter? (Conventions) 3. Why do they Use Twitter? (Motivations) 4. What are the Lessons for Brands and Marketers?

The Survey was Intended to Address Four Questions:

1. Who Uses Twitter? (Demographics)

2. How do they Use Twitter? (Conventions)

3. Why do they Use Twitter? (Motivations)

4. What are the Lessons for Brands and Marketers?

Survey Results 157 Surveys Administered 128 surveys completed (82% completion rate) Survey was Promoted via Multiple Channels: E-mail (personal and professional contacts) Social Network Sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace) Twitter itself (via ReTweets and #hashcodes) Potential Biases: Survey participants are self-selected and share common interests or traits. Promotion on Twitter is dependent on ReTweets; RT’s are only seen by users who Follow ReTweeters.

157 Surveys Administered

128 surveys completed (82% completion rate)

Survey was Promoted via Multiple Channels:

E-mail (personal and professional contacts)

Social Network Sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace)

Twitter itself (via ReTweets and #hashcodes)

Potential Biases:

Survey participants are self-selected and share common interests or traits.

Promotion on Twitter is dependent on ReTweets; RT’s are only seen by users who Follow ReTweeters.

Twitter User Demographics Twitter Users in the survey tended to be Young, Urban and Highly Educated 72% are between 18-35 65% live in urban areas 82% are college graduates Twitter Users are also Savvy Internet Veterans 97% have been using the Internet for 6+ years 79% participate in User-Generated Content sites

Twitter Users in the survey tended to be Young, Urban and Highly Educated

72% are between 18-35

65% live in urban areas

82% are college graduates

Twitter Users are also Savvy Internet Veterans

97% have been using the Internet for 6+ years

79% participate in User-Generated Content sites

Twitter Usage Trends Most Users are New to Twitter and Microblogging 69% began using Twitter within the last 6 months 31% have been using Twitter for more than 6 months Twitter Users are Highly Engaged with the Service 57% update their Twitter status daily or more 24% report updating their status once a week or less Twitter Users Prefer to Send Tweets from a Computer 52% prefer to use the web interface at Twitter.com 38% prefer to use a 3 rd party application such at TweetDeck Only 10% prefer to send Tweets via SMS

Most Users are New to Twitter and Microblogging

69% began using Twitter within the last 6 months

31% have been using Twitter for more than 6 months

Twitter Users are Highly Engaged with the Service

57% update their Twitter status daily or more

24% report updating their status once a week or less

Twitter Users Prefer to Send Tweets from a Computer

52% prefer to use the web interface at Twitter.com

38% prefer to use a 3 rd party application such at TweetDeck

Only 10% prefer to send Tweets via SMS

Twitter Usage Trends Twitter Users Typically Follow many Accounts 13% Follow less than 10 accounts 54% Follow between 11-100 accounts 33% Follow more than 100 accounts This is Holds for the Number of Followers Users Have 20% have 0-10 Followers 50% have 11-100 Followers 30% have more than 100 Followers

Twitter Users Typically Follow many Accounts

13% Follow less than 10 accounts

54% Follow between 11-100 accounts

33% Follow more than 100 accounts

This is Holds for the Number of Followers Users Have

20% have 0-10 Followers

50% have 11-100 Followers

30% have more than 100 Followers

Twitter User Motivations: What is your Primary Motivation? Sample ‘Other’ Responses: “ To be extremely clever in a public setting.” “ To get word out about the company I work for (PR)” “ To follow big thinkers about my industry” “ It’s the world’s best Q + A”

Twitter User Motivations: Who Do You Follow?

Twitter User Motivations How do you Decide Who to Follow? The Most Important Factor is Relevance 85% of respondents said relevance is a factor in Following ‘ Relevance’ is broad, but related to a user’s set of interests Users Follow their Real-World Friends 75% said a personal relationship influences the decision Users Value High-Quality Messages and Referrals 59% said they follow users with high-quality messages 36% said they follow users that their friends recommend Popularity and Message Frequency are Less Important But, users will ‘unFollow’ accounts that update too frequently

The Most Important Factor is Relevance

85% of respondents said relevance is a factor in Following

‘ Relevance’ is broad, but related to a user’s set of interests

Users Follow their Real-World Friends

75% said a personal relationship influences the decision

Users Value High-Quality Messages and Referrals

59% said they follow users with high-quality messages

36% said they follow users that their friends recommend

Popularity and Message Frequency are Less Important

But, users will ‘unFollow’ accounts that update too frequently

Twitter User Practices Twitter Users Believe in Twitter! 92% of respondents agreed that Twitter is useful Twitter User Convention Adoption 77% of respondents use @replies to direct messages Less than half (42%) of users employ #hashtags Twitter Marketing and Branding 54% say that they ‘Sometimes’ name brands or products But only 13% have participated in Marketing Campaigns

Twitter Users Believe in Twitter!

92% of respondents agreed that Twitter is useful

Twitter User Convention Adoption

77% of respondents use @replies to direct messages

Less than half (42%) of users employ #hashtags

Twitter Marketing and Branding

54% say that they ‘Sometimes’ name brands or products

But only 13% have participated in Marketing Campaigns

Twitter User Preferences: Who do You Welcome on Twitter? Account Type Favorable (%) Unfavorable (%) Personal User 84% 4% Non-Profit/NGO 81% 7% Organization/Group 80% 7% News Media/Blogs 78% 11% Government/Emergency 74% 11% Events/Conferences 74% 11% Celebrities/Public Figures 70% 10% Brands/Products 62% 18% Marketing/Promotions 38% 38%

Twitter User Preferences: Why do you Follow Brands/Celebs? User Curiosity is the Main Reason for Following Celebs & Brands 71% want to see what a celeb or brand account will say Communicating with Brands and Celebs is a Big Motivation 46% want to ask questions and interact Celebs and Brands are Another Valuable Source of Data 44% said they provide useful or interesting information Users Follow Celebs and Brands to Feel a Connection with them 33% responded that Following establishes a sense of connection Users Follow Brands to Learn About Purchasing Opportunities 33% said they want to learn of new products, sales and promotions

User Curiosity is the Main Reason for Following Celebs & Brands

71% want to see what a celeb or brand account will say

Communicating with Brands and Celebs is a Big Motivation

46% want to ask questions and interact

Celebs and Brands are Another Valuable Source of Data

44% said they provide useful or interesting information

Users Follow Celebs and Brands to Feel a Connection with them

33% responded that Following establishes a sense of connection

Users Follow Brands to Learn About Purchasing Opportunities

33% said they want to learn of new products, sales and promotions

The Lessons for Marketers Different Users Employ Twitter for Different Purposes: Some use Twitter as a Social Network Site They Follow their Real Life Friends, as well as Relevant Users Relevant Users may include Brands and Celebrities Twitter as a location of Identity Performance, Taste Statement, Impression Management and Expressions of Cultural Capital Others use Twitter as an Information Resource These users appreciate the steady flow of new information This can include information about relevant brands/products Social and Cultural Capital Figure into Decisions Regarding which Links to distribute and ReTweet

Different Users Employ Twitter for Different Purposes:

Some use Twitter as a Social Network Site

They Follow their Real Life Friends, as well as Relevant Users

Relevant Users may include Brands and Celebrities

Twitter as a location of Identity Performance, Taste Statement, Impression Management and Expressions of Cultural Capital

Others use Twitter as an Information Resource

These users appreciate the steady flow of new information

This can include information about relevant brands/products

Social and Cultural Capital Figure into Decisions Regarding which Links to distribute and ReTweet

The Lessons for Marketers Users are Wary of Being Marketed to on Twitter User resistance to marketing/promo accounts is clear User revolts have been observed (“Tweet the Rainbow”) Marketers must be mindful of appropriate ‘netiquette However, there are Encouraging Signs as well Users frequently refer to brand names and products Users demonstrate some openness to marketing Tweets Users are much more accepting of celeb endorsements

Users are Wary of Being Marketed to on Twitter

User resistance to marketing/promo accounts is clear

User revolts have been observed (“Tweet the Rainbow”)

Marketers must be mindful of appropriate ‘netiquette

However, there are Encouraging Signs as well

Users frequently refer to brand names and products

Users demonstrate some openness to marketing Tweets

Users are much more accepting of celeb endorsements

Five Proposals for Effective Brand Management and Marketing on Twitter Play by the Rules that the Community has Developed Good use of conventions will endear; Poor use will provoke Focus on Building Brand Presence First Users are more Welcoming to Branding than Sales Pitches Give Users a Reason to Interact and Share with You Become a Part of the User’s Identity Performance Leverage Celebrity Endorsements Put Your Message in your Spokesperson’s Twitter Stream Track and Measure your Brand’s Presence on Twitter Use the Powerful Tools to Follow the Conversation Develop Procedures for Determining Who to Respond to.

Play by the Rules that the Community has Developed

Good use of conventions will endear; Poor use will provoke

Focus on Building Brand Presence First

Users are more Welcoming to Branding than Sales Pitches

Give Users a Reason to Interact and Share with You

Become a Part of the User’s Identity Performance

Leverage Celebrity Endorsements

Put Your Message in your Spokesperson’s Twitter Stream

Track and Measure your Brand’s Presence on Twitter

Use the Powerful Tools to Follow the Conversation

Develop Procedures for Determining Who to Respond to.

Thank you. Questions? Follow me: http://twitter.com/hornOKplease

Thank you.

Questions?

Follow me: http://twitter.com/hornOKplease