Twitter sign-up rate decreasing

The number of new sign-ups to Twitter has decreased 20% since a peak in July last year, dropping from 7.8 million that month to 6.2 million in December. Those figures aren't exactly suggesting the downfall of the micro-blogging platform, far from it, it still remains a powerful communications channel.

Even so, only 17% of users tweeted during the month of December. Despite this, those who do use the Twitter are very engaged - particularly those who joined the network relatively recently, said Robert Moore of RJMetrics in a recent blog post.

I believe the main problem for Twitter users is finding a "use" for it. It has evolved in to an information dissemination service and business/media network more than it has a social hub.

The survey also concluded that 25% of accounts have no followers and 40% of accounts have never sent a single tweet. So-called "power users" - those who have tweeted more than 3,200 times - represent less than 10% of the current 75 million users.

From July 2009 through December 2009 the average number of followers of a Twitter user also dropped - from 42 to 27.

Tags: micro-blogging, online communications, trends, Twitter