Twitter: Expecting The Same Growth In Users As Facebook Has Seen

Are we undermining the potential of Twitter (TWTR) by considering the deceleration in active user growth?

       Slowdown in Active User Growth 

                                                                                                                                                         Source: Business Insider 

One main concern rising within Wall Street is the slowdown in the growth of monthly active users, comparing Twitter with Facebook (FB) and expecting the same user base as Facebook attracts. While few analysts say that comparing Twitter with Facebook is not useful. Facebook maintains a focus on providing a platform to users for socializing with other users, while Twitter is highly focused on helping users spread information; this makes these two not comparable with each other. Twitter does not provide the level of features and tools that Facebook offers to its users to engage with other users.

Many media platforms have adopted Twitter to let their viewers express their opinions and participate in debates; this is not possible on social networking platform Facebook, on which the main aim of the user is to interact with others through various activities. By providing several features to enable users to interact with others, Facebook has created a platform where users can always be engaged in several activities. However, on Twitter, you cannot be engaged in tasks except spreading information. This makes it difficult for Twitter to accumulate a mass audience. Debates and discussions that media channels initiate on Twitter cannot entice the user to engage in the same task every day, because not every person is interested in all discussions and debates, and one is not interested in giving an opinion when nobody listens. For that matter, many would not be interested in making statements or participating in discussions.

Many people like to be the center of attention; otherwise, nobody would be interested in participating in any activity (there are few exceptions, but they are not that important). There are many limitations to using Twitter when compared with Facebook, where the sky is the limit for interacting with others.

However, this does not mean that many users will not use Twitter; this platform has its own uniqueness. For example, media platforms have aggressively adopted Twitter. A recent study found that exposure to TV-related tweets has been rewarding for both consumers and broadcasting channels. Among the users surveyed, 99% were exposed to TV-related tweets.

After seeing TV-related Tweets, 90% of respondents took subsequent action such as watching a show they’ve never watched before, resuming watching a show that they’d previously stopped watching, and/or searching for more information about the show online. In fact, one-third of respondents reported having changed the channel to watch a show after seeing Tweets about it.

Twitter has become more valuable to media platforms as they increase their usage of this social media site. The engagement and awareness Twitter has been creating for media channels will help them sustain the viewer’s attention longer, giving them the opportunity to promote relevant content on Twitter. At present, Twitter is available in more than 35 languages if its content is available in more languages it will help Twitter generate more users.

Facebook and Twitter are unrelated platforms with different targeted audiences and characteristics. Expecting the same user base as Facebook in Twitter undermines the uniqueness of Twitter, where mass adoption and retaining the user is not possible at the same level as that of Facebook.