Twitter, Back by Popular Demand

Ronn Torossian

Two years ago, Twitter’s future appeared in question after that platform lost some of its market share to Instagram and Snapchat. However, recent statistics from Twitter show that for 2020’s fourth quarter, the platform had 192 million active daily users. This represented a 27 percent increase from the same period a year earlier.

Of that number, the U.S. has the biggest number of daily active users, at 55 million, or 28.6 percent of Twitter’s user base. Twitter’s numbers pale in comparison to Facebook’s admitted 1.84 billion daily users, but its strong comeback means that it’s still one of the most used social platforms around. Marketers still need to consider the potential and possibilities of Twitter.

Part of Twitter’s turnaround may be due to the results of an analysis of billions of tweets between December 2018 and November 2020. The goal of the study, which was commissioned by Twitter and conducted by a consortium made up of Black Swan Data, Crowd DNA and Brandwatch, was to identify trends that could help brands stay in front of what was happening in the marketplace.

Those results were supported by key findings by another Twitter-commissioned study of 100 U.S. brands in 2019 measuring the power of cultural relevance and brand income. That study by market research firm Kantar revealed a 75 percent correlation between cultural relevance and brand sales.

When the consortium study results were revealed, it identified six rising trends that brands should be aware of. They were labeled as Wellbeing, Creator Culture, Everyday Wonder, One Planet, Tech Life and My Identity. How much of an impact the pandemic and quarantines had on the results is unknown as the report wasn’t broken out by years.

Wellbeing was characterized as prioritizing self-case for oneself and one another. Researchers said wellbeing was no longer just a “buzzword.” It now involved going deeper into what one’s health and wellbeing looked like every day. They saw mental health nurturing, whole-body health, and staying healthy together through communities of care as evolving trends. Brands that build relevance and are a part of the conversation will gain followers and loyal customers.

Researchers saw entrepreneurism and a 32 percent jump in the conversation being prominent in Creator Culture. Not only are home workplaces thriving and fostering new ideas, but the study showed rises in digital art and design and other creativity through AI, creative writing and creator collectives and platforms. Brands might partner with prominent voices through Twitter ArtHouse to deliver fresh perspectives or hire a group of diverse creators who represent a new audience the brand wishes to reach.

DIY spirituality, imaginative escapism and infinite horizons were identified as Everyday Wonder’s emerging trends. The research saw a 43 percent growth in conversations during the past year of uncertainty. Here again, brands that build relevance by being a part of the conversation will do well. Might there be a new product that can bring positivity and joy to people? How about bringing an IRL experience on Twitter?

More consumers are eco-conscious and holding brands accountable. Brands that identify ways to emerge as leaders for One Planet and endow change make it easier for consumers to jump aboard. By encouraging open discussion and being transparent about its progress, brands can also inspire others and be seen as leaders for sustainability.

Tech Life centers around inspiring better-connected lives and improving society through technology. Helping consumers adapt to the future and visualize how the brand will help make their lives easier can be powerful.

The past year has brought more people around to shared purpose and values. Ethics and equality rank high. The most indelible impact for My Identity can be made by brands successful in identifying and then building awareness and interest for something new that its customers relish. The cause doesn’t have to be new, but if the approach is, they’ll embrace it.

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Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, one of America’s leading PR firms.