Hey there! If you‘re wondering how many monthly active users Twitter had back in 2016, the answer is 318 million. Pretty impressive number, right?
In this post I‘ll give you a deep dive into Twitter‘s history and growth leading up to 2016. You‘ll learn about key events at the company that year, how Twitter was making money, what the experience was like for users, and more.
Whether you just joined Twitter or have been tweeting for a decade, I think you‘ll find these details interesting. Let‘s get started!
Contents
A Brief History of Twitter‘s Rise to Fame
To appreciate where Twitter was in 2016, it helps to understand the platform‘s origins and early days.
Twitter didn‘t always have hundreds of millions of users. It started small – really small.
Here‘s a quick timeline of Twitter‘s early history:
- 2006: Twitter is created by Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Biz Stone and Noah Glass. The very first tweet is sent by Dorsey on March 21: "just setting up my twttr." Cute, right?
- 2007: Usage starts to pick up as people discover this new form of communication. Twitter hits 1 million total tweets sent per quarter.
- 2008: Twitter raises funding, launches at SXSW, and usage spikes during the presidential election. Still only about 6 million users though.
- 2009: Twitter hits mainstream popularity and crosses over into pop culture. Total tweets sent exceed 1 billion for the year.
- 2010: User base explodes to over 105 million registered accounts. 55 million tweets are sent per day.
As you can see, Twitter started as an obscure idea but usage snowballed once people understood the appeal of short status updates. Celebrities, athletes, politicians and teens alike became addicted to tweeting.
Fast forward to 2016 and Twitter had well over 300 million active monthly users as we‘ll cover next. The tiny podcasting side project had become a global phenomenon.
Twitter Hit 318 Million Monthly Users in 2016
So how many people actively used Twitter in 2016?
In Q4 of 2016, Twitter had 318 million monthly active users (MAUs).
This was a substantial increase from just a couple years prior. Let‘s compare some MAU figures:
- 2013: 240 million
- 2014: 284 million
- 2015: 320 million
- 2016: 318 million
As you can see, Twitter was adding tens of millions of users annually in its growth phase.
Here‘s another way to view the data:
| Year | Monthly Active Users |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 54 million |
| 2011 | 100 million |
| 2012 | 200 million |
| 2013 | 240 million |
| 2014 | 284 million |
| 2015 | 320 million |
| 2016 | 318 million |
Pretty impressive growth, right? But why was 2016 a turning point for Twitter?
Key Events at Twitter in 2016
Aside from reaching 318 million MAUs, Twitter made some major changes in 2016 that had pros and cons:
Switching to Algorithmic Timeline
One of Twitter‘s most debated changes came in March 2016 when they transitioned from a purely reverse chronological feed to an algorithmic timeline.
Up until then, you saw tweets strictly in the order they were posted. But Twitter wanted to improve relevance, so popular content started appearing first regardless of timing.
Pros: Shows you more engaging tweets so you miss less. Allows new/inactive users to see highlights. Promotes quality over timing.
Cons: Loses real-time nature that makes Twitter unique. Introduces bias. Reduces control over feed.
This change was quite controversial. While intended to grow usage, many saw it as fixing something that wasn‘t broken.
Shutting Down Vine
Twitter purchased the video app Vine in 2012. By 2016 it had over 200 million monthly users and was incredibly popular with teens and creators.
But due to business decisions, Twitter announced it was discontinuing Vine later that year. Many saw this as a short-sighted mistake.
Pros: Streamlined business to focus on core product. Cut costs associated with Vine.
Cons: Let hugely successful app die off for no clear reason. Damaged Twitter‘s reputation.
Dealing with Harassment Issues
In 2016 Twitter continued to face scrutiny around harassment, bullying and abusive behavior on its platform. Critics argued it wasn‘t doing enough to protect users.
In response, Twitter introduced over 30 changes meant to improve safety. This included enhanced reporting procedures and banning certain accounts.
Pros: Signaled acknowledgment of issues and that changes were coming. Responded to public feedback. Took concrete steps.
Cons: Changes came slowly and harassment continued being a problem. Set precedent of reactive vs proactive measures.
While Twitter had some wins in 2016, these three events highlighted ongoing challenges around decision-making, safety and product direction.
Twitter‘s Revenue in 2016
Despite some struggles, Twitter was bringing in hefty revenue in 2016:
- Total annual revenue in 2016: $2.53 billion
- Revenue in Q4 2016: $595 million
This was up 15% year-over-year from 2015‘s revenue of $2.21 billion.
The growth has continued since:
- 2017: $2.44 billion
- 2018: $3.04 billion
- 2019: $3.46 billion
- 2020: $3.72 billion
- 2021: $5.08 billion
As you can see, Twitter‘s business model was thriving and 2016 marked a real turning point with revenue crossing $2.5 billion.
Next let‘s look at where all this money was coming from.
How Twitter Makes Money
The vast majority of Twitter‘s revenue comes from advertising. Let‘s dive into the different ad options:
- Promoted tweets – Advertisers pay for greater visibility on tweets. Generated $650 million in 2016.
- Promoted trends – Brands sponsor trending hashtags. Made $90 million in 2016.
- Promoted accounts – Companies endorse accounts to gain more followers. Drove $520 million in 2016.
- Research and Insights – Sells Twitter data to help advertisers. Brought in $70 million in 2016.
Advertising made up about 85% of Twitter‘s revenue in 2016. The rest came from:
- Data licensing (selling historical tweets/data)
- Twitter‘s developer platform
- Commerce partnerships – getting a cut of sales from shops links
So ads were clearly Twitter‘s bread and butter in 2016, as they remain today. Promoted tweets generated the most revenue.
Without this advertising model, Twitter would have a fraction of its current value. But for many, the tradeoff of more ads for more free content is worth it.
What Made Twitter Valuable?
This brings up the question – what made Twitter such an attractive platform, for both users and advertisers?
For everyday users, Twitter offered:
- Real-time access – Get instant updates on news and events as they occur.
- Brevity – Share and consume content quickly in bite-sized form.
- Customization – Follow specific accounts, topics, events matching your interests.
- Community – Connect with people across geographies united by common interests.
- Influence – Engage with thought leaders, celebs, politicians and public figures.
These user benefits explain why hundreds of millions signed up within Twitter‘s first decade. The simplicity and immediacy gave it viral appeal.
Meanwhile, for advertisers and brands, Twitter provided:
- Reach – Access to daily active users in the hundreds of millions.
- Targeting – Ad targeting by keywords, interests, behaviors, demographics and more.
- Trend discovery – Tap into rising conversations and viral moments.
- Engagement – Communicate directly with followers and customers.
- Amplification – Tweets can spread rapidly on and beyond Twitter.
So Twitter offered unmatched access to a massive, engaged audience. That‘s what brands were willing to pay for.
The Twitter Experience in 2016
If you were actively using Twitter back in 2016, you likely remember these classic features:
- Scrolling reverse chronological timeline
- 140 character limit on tweets
- Hashtag and @mention functions
- Text tweets, photo tweets, GIFs, quote tweets, polls
- Likes, retweets and threaded conversations
- Profiles with header photos and bios
- Real-time notifications from accounts you follow
- Discoverability via search, locations, interests
- Customizable third-party apps like TweetDeck
The core Twitter tools and interface were basically set by 2016. And the 140 character limit famously required brevity.
The main changes since then have been visual refreshes, doubled character counts, live video, and algorithmic feeds. But old school Twitter still feels familiar today.
What‘s Next for Twitter?
With 318 million users reached in 2016, what can we expect from Twitter moving forward?
Assuming Twitter stays independent, experts foresee:
- Steady user growth, especially internationally
- More subscription services for premium features
- Expanded shopping/commerce capabilities
- New algorithms and AI to improve relevance
- Added controls to further address abuse/misinformation
- Deeper partnerships across media, business, government
- Leveraging new technologies like VR/AR
But major changes could happen if acquired by another giant like Google, Apple or Amazon. Regulatory challenges also loom.
Still, given that Twitter has become central to culture and conversation, it‘s likely here to stay in some form!
The Takeaway
Well there you have it! To quickly recap:
- In 2016, Twitter hit 318 million monthly active users – an impressive accomplishment just 10 years after starting.
- Key events in 2016 included the new algorithmic feed, shutting down Vine and tackling harassment. This was a transitional time.
- Revenue passed $2.5 billion driven by advertising sales – and has kept growing since.
- Twitter‘s real-time, public nature gives it enduring appeal for both individual users and advertisers/brands.
- Going from a simple idea in 2006 to over 300 million users by 2016 is seriously impressive.
So while a lot has happened in the years since, 2016 marked a real milestone in Twitter‘s growth. Let me know if you have any other questions!
