Twitter is the most-used social platform among journalists
A new article on Social Media Today reports that according to a new Pew Research study, incorporating responses from over 11,500 journalists based in the US, Twitter is by far the most used social platform among this group, which means that much of the reporting that you're then seeing in media outlets is, at least in some way, being influenced by tweeted opinion.
According to Pew:
While Twitter may not have the reach or usage of these larger platforms, it is used by those who communicate the latest news of the day, often through these other sites - which means that those who are prominent on Twitter have an outsized influence on the broader news cycle, which is why Twitter is so important for maximizing key messages and connecting with influential voices.
If you want to influence people's opinions, Twitter is a great place to start. Sure, Twitter only has 229 million daily active users, but the important thing here is who these people are.
The tweet feed's real-time nature makes it the ideal place to stay up to date with the latest news as it happens, which appeals to those who are most involved in their respective fields. These prominent, highly active influencers are frequently the ones 'breaking' news to their own communities and networks off-platform, but this information originates on Twitter, emphasizing the importance of connecting with these aggregators at the source.
Connecting with these influential voices can play an important role in your communications strategy, even if you don't believe Twitter is worth the effort to reach your target audience directly.
As shown in the above chart, general public response indicates that Facebook remains the most widely used social media site for news overall in the US, with 31% of US adults logging in regularly for new content. YouTube is the second-most popular site, with 22% of the public getting their news from there on a regular basis.
And Twitter's influence is likely to grow. To add:
The bottom line is that Twitter is a hugely influential platform, whether you use it or not, and raw user data doesn't tell the full story of how much tweets can influence public opinion and bring awareness to key topics.
According to Pew:
| "Among journalists, Twitter clearly ranks at the top of the list for work-related tasks. Around seven-in-ten U.S. journalists (69%) say it is the social media site they use most or second most for their job. Twitter is followed by Facebook at 52% and, far lower on the list, by Instagram (19%), LinkedIn (17%) and YouTube (14%). None of the other sites asked about in the survey - Reddit, WhatsApp, TikTok, Discord, Twitch and Snapchat - were named by more than 4% of the journalists surveyed." |
If you want to influence people's opinions, Twitter is a great place to start. Sure, Twitter only has 229 million daily active users, but the important thing here is who these people are.
The tweet feed's real-time nature makes it the ideal place to stay up to date with the latest news as it happens, which appeals to those who are most involved in their respective fields. These prominent, highly active influencers are frequently the ones 'breaking' news to their own communities and networks off-platform, but this information originates on Twitter, emphasizing the importance of connecting with these aggregators at the source.
Connecting with these influential voices can play an important role in your communications strategy, even if you don't believe Twitter is worth the effort to reach your target audience directly.
As shown in the above chart, general public response indicates that Facebook remains the most widely used social media site for news overall in the US, with 31% of US adults logging in regularly for new content. YouTube is the second-most popular site, with 22% of the public getting their news from there on a regular basis.
| "In stark contrast, 45% of journalists 65 and older identify Twitter as one of their top two social media sites for work tasks. Instagram is also more popular among younger journalists (those under 50), while LinkedIn and YouTube are somewhat more popular among older journalists (those ages 50 and older)." |
And Twitter's influence is likely to grow. To add:
| "Journalists who say they work at an outlet whose audience leans right politically are much more likely than those with left-leaning audiences to say Facebook is one of their top two social media sites for their work (67% vs. 45%). Conversely, journalists who say their organization has a left-leaning audience are twice as likely as those who say their organization has a right-leaning audience to use Instagram (24% vs. 12%)." |
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