Have 1,000 Followers? You're in the 96th Percentile of Twitter Users.

A data journalist's deep dive into the Twitterverse revealed that the median Twitter account has just one follower.

learn more about Nina Zipkin

By Nina Zipkin

Numbers don't lie, and businesses with over 1,000 Twitter followers are making more of an impact than they might think. According to data journalist Jon Bruner, O'Reilly Media's editor-at-large, Twitter accounts that have 1,000-plus followers are in the 96th percentile of active Twitter users.

How does he figure that? Well, over the course of several weeks this year, Bruner took a deep dive into the "Twitterverse." Using data collected from around 400,000 accounts, he found that the median Twitter account has just one follower. Among active Twitter users -- those Bruner defines as having posted something in the last 30 days -- the median account had 61 followers. Bruner notes that his definition of an active Twitter user is narrower than Twitter's definition of an active user, which includes anyone who has logged into the service.

Related: Twitter Shows the Value in Listening to Customers

#insert related here#

Bruner also discovered that active users follow a median 117 users and that 76% of Twitter users follow more people than follow them.

Bruner says the data suggests "Twitter is more a consumption medium than a conversational one -- an only-somewhat-democratized successor to broadcast television, in which a handful of people wield enormous influence and everyone else chatters with a few friends on living-room couches." (As it turns out, Bruner's TV comment dovetails with an announcement on Tuesday that New York Times columnist Nick Bilton's book about Twitter's origins, Hatching Twitter, has been optioned by Lionsgate Television).

Still, while Bruner's findings are interesting, it remains hard to refute that Twitter has shaped the way the world communicates. Walt Mossberg, the Wall Street Journal's long-time tech columnist, used his final column on Tuesday to look back on the past two decades of digital history and personal technology. Of Twitter he noted, "often seen as Facebook's chief competitor, Twitter is really something different -- a sort of global instant-messaging system...Like Facebook, it has changed the way people live digitally."

Related: 5 Social Media Predictions for 2014

Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

Everyone Wants to Get Close to Their Favorite Artist. Here's the Technology Making It a Reality — But Better.
The Highest-Paid, Highest-Profile People in Every Field Know This Communication Strategy
After Early Rejection From Publishers, This Author Self-Published Her Book and Sold More Than 500,000 Copies. Here's How She Did It.
Having Trouble Speaking Up in Meetings? Try This Strategy.
He Names Brands for Amazon, Meta and Forever 21, and Says This Is the Big Blank Space in the Naming Game
Leadership

How to Detect a Liar in Seconds Using Nonverbal Communication

There are many ways to understand if someone is not honest with you. The following signs do not even require words and are all nonverbal queues.

Starting a Business

Ask Marc | Free Business Advice Session with the Co-Founder of Netflix

Get free business advice during our next Ask Marc, live Q&A, on 3/28/23 at 3 p.m. EDT. You don't want to miss it—send in your questions now.

Leadership

5 Ways to Successfully Encourage, Empower and Engage Your Team

Here are five simple things leaders can do to build strong teams.

Business News

American Airlines Sued After Teen Dies of Heart Attack Onboard Flight to Miami

Kevin Greenridge was traveling from Honduras to Miami on June 4, 2022, on AA Flight 614 when he went into cardiac arrest and became unconscious mid-flight.

Business News

The 'Airbnbust' Proves the Wild West Days of Online Vacation Rentals Are Over

Airbnb recently reported that 2022 was its first profitable year ever. But the deluge of new listings foreshadowed an inevitable correction.

Leadership

How This Entrepreneur Went Global Without VC Funding

The founder of Luminary shares why she wanted to control her own destiny and her advice for women who want to build their own sustainable and profitable business.