Twitter mobile use up, desktop use down

Recently, Strategy Analytics released a report on how users are accessing and using Twitter. The study, entitled ‘Social Network Profile: Who Uses Twitter?’ analysed which devices were used to tweet. The study included 6,500 people in the US and Europe.

Between March 2012 and October 2012, the proportion of Twitter users who accessed the social network from a mobile device (either tablet or phone) rose by 15%, from 56% to 71%. This coincided with a dramatic drop in the number of people using desktop or notebook computers, falling to 64% from 77%. Tweeting from mobile saw an increase from 53% to 64%, and tweeting from tablets grew to 18%, up from 9%. 

The report also revealed a number of other insights. Usage of Twitter is highest in the UK, with 21% of people surveyed accessing the social network frequently (at least once a week). Twitter is most popular amongst more affluent people (12% of those with lower household incomes are frequent users compared to 22% of those with higher household incomes). Students are more likely to use the service: 26% of full-time students are frequent users, compared to 17% of those in full-time employment.

The growing trend of users accessing Twitter from mobile and tablet devices highlights the importance of establishing a mobile strategy.