When I talk about Twitter to corporate audiences, a very common reaction is "I just don’t get it." Hence, the post title.
If you want to learn more about microblogging check out this report (client access only).
Our data shows that 6% of US online adults use Twitter regularly.
If you want to reach an affluent, well educated, and early adopter audience, there might not be a better communication channel out there.
BTW each line in this message is < 140 characters.
@forrester is on Twitter, as are many individual analysts like @peterkim, @jowyang, @charleneli, @birdahonk, @sureshvittal, @carriejohnson, @SFOSkyGod, and @jbernoff.
UPDATE: Many people – namely Robert Scoble – believe that 6% is way too high. Here’s related information from Cynthia. For those interested in the methodology, you can read more about it here. The specific question that survey respondents saw: "There are also more general activities you can do on the Internet. How frequently do you do each of the following activities? (Select one for each row)" and "Use Twitter" was one of 11 options, with the frequency choices of "at least daily," "weekly," "monthly," "less than monthly," and "never."
A researcher on my team tells me the number is corroborated from data from another survey as well. It isn’t drawn from Nielsen//NetRatings, which has its own methodology. While researching, I did d biz and email pownce, but neither responded.
It’s fun to talk about whether 6% is BS or not, just like it’s fun to watch traffic spike when one gets Scobelized. To move that part of the discussion forward, I’d like to hear from people who have facts and data to refute the figure, not just feelings. [But I do care about your feelings – deeply. 🙂 ]
IMO the number isn’t critical to the report’s premise; more importantly, I explain why brands should pay attention to a small percent of online activity and how microblogging fits into social computing strategy.