Get All Access for $5/mo

81 Percent Of U.S. Adults Do Not Regularly Use Twitter For businesses with limited budgets, knowing your audience is critical.

By Gene Marks

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

NurPhoto | Getty Images

We always hear a lot in the news about "reactions on Twitter." You know what I mean. There are "firestorms" and "explosions" that happen when a celebrity or a politician tweets something controversial. What does the "Twittersphere" think? What are the real people tweeting about? The media loves this stuff. They quote this stuff. They use Twitter as a source of what America is thinking.

Except it's really not a very representative source at all. Just look at the numbers.

According to a Pew Research study conducted in 2018, only 22 percent of U.S. adults are active on Twitter. Actually, the number is likely even less than that. The 2010 U.S. Census says that there were about 308 million total people in this country. Of this, 235 million were adults over 18, a 10 percent increase from 2000, which was the date of the last census. Assuming the 2020 Census has similar growth, we would be looking at approximately 258 million adult Americans. Twitter says that there are currently about 48 million active users in the U.S., and those likely include a large number bots and other fake accounts. But putting that aside and assuming all these accounts are legit, this still means that the actual number of American adults regularly on the site totales less than 19 percent. Which means that 81 percent of Americans do not use Twitter actively.

Relared: Why Did Elon Musk Publicly Smoke Weed With Joe Rogan?

There are some other Twitter demographics of note from the Pew and other studies.

For example, about two-thirds (66 percent) of Twitter users are male. Another two-thirds (67 percent) either call themselves "center left" or "extreme left" politically. Thirty-eight percent of users are below the age of 30. Fifty-six percent of Twitter users make more than $50,000 a year. Most importantly — to me — is that 42 percent of the 48 million active U.S. monthly users are on Twitter every day, which means that fewer than eight percent of the adult U.S. population is really making up the ongoing conversation on Twitter.

Eight percent!

These numbers are important if you're running a small business. You can mock the tweets by politicians, Mariah Carey and Kim Kardashian. If you're a national political figure or famous celebrity, what gets posted on Twitter gets picked up and spread elsewhere by the media. But you're not. You're probably like me: a regular, non-celebrity small-business owner. You've got a limited marketing budget. You're told to "be active on social media" by the experts. That's likely true. But it's important to pick which social media platform to invest your limited resources in. Is it Facebook? Instagram? TikTok? Snapchat? LinkedIn?

Related: Here's How You Can Put Your Twitter Marketing on Autopilot

It could be Twitter. But for most of my clients, and given the demographics mentioned above, it probably isn't. That's up to you to decide. Do your research. Or you could be spending your time and money on a social media platform that's devoid of any potential customers.

Gene Marks

Entrepreneur Leadership Network® VIP

President of The Marks Group

Gene Marks is a CPA and owner of The Marks Group PC, a ten-person technology and financial consulting firm located near Philadelphia founded in 1994.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

These Companies Offer the Best Work-Life Balance, According to Employees

The ranking is based on Glassdoor ratings and reviews.

Leadership

Why Your AI Strategy Will Fail Without the Right Talent in Place

Using fractional AI experts through specialized platforms allows companies to access top talent cost-effectively, drive innovation and scale agile strategies for growth.

Science & Technology

Use This Framework to Successfully Integrate AI Into Your Business Operations

Here's how to ensure both innovation and compliance when using AI in your organization.

Growing a Business

Why Business Owners Should Streamline Their Operations Now for Success in 2025

As the holiday season and year-end approach, business owners face heightened operational demands, from inventory management to spend control. By streamlining these processes and partnering with flexible suppliers, businesses can maintain efficiency, meet customer needs and focus on growth while navigating this busy period.