Twopcharts reported on Wednesday that Twitter reached 500 million users and it’s expected to meet 600 million within the year based on its current numbers and growth rates. While users have frequently complained about the recent activity of spambots on the website, it’s likely that 500 million mark is almost entirely actual users.
For social media marketing campaigns, Twitter represents one of the best platforms to reach new prospects and gauge the needs and desires of the public.
Furthermore, Mediabistro said it expects Twitter to double its user base, reaching 1 billion, in about a year and a half.
Twitter’s official business page lists its total user base as just “100,000,000+,” but it’s likely that the company is listing just its most active users.
Brafton reported in September that Twitter had surpassed 100 million users at that point, so the rapid ascent to 500 million demonstrates an obvious surge in interest.
Appropriately, social media marketing budgets will likely shift in 2012 with a greater focus on the microblogging website. Brafton recently reported that 70 percent of businesses using social marketing will increase their use of Twitter this year.
