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Yup, this measurement from comScore of 75 million people visiting Twitter in January of this year does not take into account those accessing the service through third party apps. Isn’t it nice to get that out of the way right from the start?
Fresh off the news that in January Twitter served over 1.2 billion tweets there is little surprise in a growth chart that looks like this courtesy of TechCrunch and comScore

When you cut to the chase on this though, the question about Twitter has to be less about quantity and more about quality. As more and more of the mainstream begin to discover and possibly embrace Twitter (have you had any “I don’t get that Twitter thing at all” comments from people who are not like you?) the pure volume of visitors, users and tweets will continue to rise. What might not rise is the legitimate information that is in the cacophony of tweets. If it becomes harder and harder to mine and make sense of Twitter’s stream then it won’t matter how many people visit.
Twitter has done it’s part though by moving forward and making the overall experience more useful
Large sites like Twitter and Facebook before it tend to grow in step-like patterns, with bursts of growth followed by periods of flatness during which the site absorbs its new users and adapts to their needs. Twitter has certainly been improving the functionality of its own site, with the rollout of new features such as local trends, a better suggested user list, Twitter Lists, and the Retweet button. Maybe all that work is starting to pay off.
So how do you feel about Twitter today? I ask about today because the tide turns so rapidly in this space that even attempting to predict the future of anything is an exercise in futility. Obviously, no one has a crystal ball (except of course that broker who keeps calling you with “hot tips”) but to call how the social media landscape will play out over any extended period of time is a crap shoot at best.
Your take?
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Drew Carls Says:
February 17th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
I find Twitter a very useful (even powerful) tool. I follow Twitterers who share great content for me and it adds much value. And, yes, I still look to those I can follow who add a dose of personality to their tweets — even if I have to read they celebrated a great milestone with friends. That’s exciting to me. You see people succeed and enjoy life. Done right – Twitter brings much value to me.
Marieme Jamme Reply:
February 24th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
Totally agree Drew! Twitter is very useful. I love it very much!
I will follow you !
@mjamme
Gretchen Gary Says:
February 17th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
I think Twitter has what it takes to stick around. I just started using the site in December ’09 and already find it an invaluable resource for keeping up with my peers and like-minded individuals. By following key personalities in my industry, I am able to benefit from a vast wealth of professional knowledge that would otherwise not be available to me, unless I spent hours reading dozens of blogs or specialized websites. My Twitter feed is like scanning the headlines of my favorite news sources all in one place.
Valerie Lambert Says:
February 17th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
When I give a seminar (or just converse with someone) and invariably get the comment about Twitter that remarks on it’s uselessness (“I don’t CARE what ___ had for breakfast!”), or a genuine question about what social networking can be USED FOR, I respond with, “Well, what can a COMPUTER be used for?”
This usually gets the wheels turning, while I follow up with examples of those “power users” who not only create databases, pay all their bills online, etc., down to people who don’t even understand e-mail and really only play solitaire.
After the analogy that COMPUTER USERS come in all varieties, people begin to realize that the same is true for social media, and that Twitter can be as powerful – or useless – as the user desires.
THEN…the real conversation begins.
angela@tutu,baby boutique Says:
February 17th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
It is amazing that twitter has exploded onto the seen like it has. I sooo wish I would have thought of the lil birdy!
Gina Says:
February 17th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
Twitter is very powerful and businesses big and small are making use of it more and more. Like any social network, the key is to interact with others online.
You don’t have to communicate with everyone who follows you, just the ones who are like minded and share the same interests as you or your business. Quantity is great, but quality is better. You want to attract like-minded people.
The more responsive your followers, the better it is for you.
.-= Gina´s last blog ..Social Media is Rockin’ The House In Marketing =-.
Tom Bianco Says:
February 17th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
Wow take that google and facebook
Tom Bianco
.-= Tom Bianco´s last blog ..Hi Allison my Name is Tom and I work from Home =-.
Gregg Brown Says:
February 17th, 2010 at 10:58 pm
I think one of the things that has allowed Twitter to grow is, they have been easy on the “rules”, not going overboard. But I do wish they would allow animated graphics.
Hey, think if you look, you might find that broker who keeps calling you with “hot tips” on Twitter.
.-= Gregg Brown´s last blog ..Brand Management; Lessons from Toyota =-.
David Black Says:
February 18th, 2010 at 10:40 am
I have not used twitter a huge amount to get my blog out to the masses. I have dabbled with it a little and hope to use it more in the future.
However I do find it useful for finding little golden nuggets to help in my online adventure. If you are following the right people then you can really get some useful tips that will seriously help you out.
The more people who use it the better I say
.-= David Black´s last blog ..Social Masters Best Of 2009 =-.
Tom Says:
February 18th, 2010 at 12:09 pm
Hiya,
I’ve just been searching for recent blog posts from people who might be interested in Twitter tools, and found your blog. Would you be interested in reviewing TweetingMachine, our recently-launched Twitter tool? If so, please let me know and I’ll get back to you with a login. No expectations, if you like the product then great, otherwise, well, it gives us something to work on
Cheers,
Tom.
Steve Roddy Says:
February 18th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
I like Twitter. But, my conversations isn’t the greatest
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