Facebook continues to be growing at the rate of around 5 million users a week according to the latest numbers but Twitter, the latest Silicon Valley darling, is posting some impressive growth figures of its own. The most recent data provided by Google Trends shows that Twitter has reached a search volume in just over a year and a quarter, that it took Facebook 2 and a half years to accomplish.
This should be concerning for Facebook who has been taking steps to duplicate much of the functionality provided by the rapidly growing micro-blogging service. The charts are somewhat misleading though if you factor in on other piece of information. Facebook’s search data shows up in Google Trends within months of launching their service.
In contrast, Twitter’s search data only showed up on Google Trends’ radar almost six months after beginning. When taken into account, this information still doesn’t make the picture much more rosy for Facebook. Twitter’s rate of adoption is phenomenal and it has become more than a little thorn in Facebook’s side. Facebook is expected to announce greater API functionality over the coming months that will hopefully drive some developers from Twitter back to building on Facebook.
Unfortunately, not all developers are happy. A few large developers that I spoke to in recent weeks have complained that Facebook’s vision of becoming the web-based platform of the future, previously announced my Mark Zuckerberg, has become tainted with so many changes that it has become an unsafe environment for building a business (that’s built on the application platform).
What was once billed as the first social operating system, has instead been replaced as the social backbone for external applications. Not a bad position for Facebook but now some developers have been forced to diversify their development efforts to other platforms.
Not all developers are complaining however. LivingSocial for example, continues to experience phenomenal growth thanks to widespread feed distribution in the new redesign. Flixster and a number of other applications have mimicked the call to action images utilized by LivingSocial. Soon, growth among these applications may become stunted as Facebook plans to be eliminating call to action images from feed stories according to people I’ve spoken with.
That means icons like the one pictured above can’t be used to drive new installs. This is a minor technicality though (not so minor for the developers taking advantage of this) in the ongoing Twitter versus Facebook saga. What’s clear is that the battle will only become more fierce before there is any sort of resolution.
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maybe it is due to the adaptability of technology … twitter is simple and fast to use in sharing information.
Comment by Facebook User — April 1, 2009 @ 3:20 pm
I think that Facebook has allowed to much freedom for useless apps that require no API development at all. They are dangerously sliding down the slippery MySpace slope. I hope Twitter doesn't ever go down that road.
Comment by roger — April 1, 2009 @ 5:35 pm
interesting….
Comment by Joshua Backer — April 1, 2009 @ 5:56 pm
I had a feeling those stats would look that way.
Comment by DocSpallone — April 1, 2009 @ 7:24 pm
Since when is search volume considered growth? But the headline screams "Twitter Growing Twice As Fast As Facebook" and I don't see the stats about growth, I see stats about people searching popular terms. How about user stats? International growth? And what does Living Social have to do with Twitter *growing* twice as fast as facebook? Is this a lame April 1st post?
Comment by Dennis Neiman — April 2, 2009 @ 1:06 am
Maybe is because Twitter at least from my perspective, it is more about information than really socializing or too much silly applications stuff therefore, more attractive to entrepreneurs
Comment by Carlos Aloma — April 2, 2009 @ 1:53 am
but twitter is full of spammers
Comment by Jayjay Jayme — April 2, 2009 @ 3:13 am
hi from of chili
Comment by Pablo Ormeño — April 2, 2009 @ 3:56 am
It’s understandable, Twitter is so much better than Facebook. I must admit I do have Facebook and it can be OK, but there’s so much going on it’s confusing. Whereas Twitter is nice and simple and I love it.
Comment by Jason Rybka — April 2, 2009 @ 5:21 am
Job well done to Facebook for preparing everyone with a duplicate of Twitter’s functionality?! That makes it easy to bail on Facebook and hit the ground running when you take the world wide ride.
I’m stickin with twitter.
Comment by Khayyam Wakil — April 2, 2009 @ 5:25 am
Can't these guys just get along?! Seriously though, they are very different propositions. Twitter is just so accessible, even for complete newbies. FB isn't as nimble but has some great qualities, especially since recent modifications.
Where businesses are concerned, I think it's best to maintain a presence on several platforms (inc FB/twitter) but also look at joining (or creating) niche communities which are directly relevant.
Interesting to see how this one develops anyway.
Comment by Andy Lacey — April 2, 2009 @ 6:18 am
Yeah, but does it have the "staying power" of Facebook and following people you actually CARE about?
I have tried and failed to get actively involved in Twitter 3 different times. There's way too much info coming in for me to actually enjoy myself there and I just can't seem to stick around.
I'll be curious to see some "active usage" data in 6 months…
Comment by Erik Wullschleger — April 2, 2009 @ 6:54 am
the answer is simple – if you want to follow people that you really care for, please go for facebook (much recommend). If you need to expose self-benchmark or searching the best platform of free advertisement and marketing value, go for twitter.
I do agree that twitter are fill out by lots of spammer, but that might change in near future cause the team is taking good care of creating prevention mechanism. (its all about professionalism)
for me, Twitter = prospects benchmarking. Daaa
Comment by madnilk — April 2, 2009 @ 7:57 am
Twitter fascinates me. Its so simple and brief. Take a look at 12seconds.tv, also a new success because its short and sweet. Sweet condensed information, is it a trend?
Facebook is great, but my opinion is its trying to hard to be like myspace.
Keep it simple people!
Comment by Jen Ruhman — April 2, 2009 @ 8:03 am
Twitter is cool because it is so easy to post messages and to read other peoples messages. Facebook is to confusing and there is a lot going on. Having twitter on my iPhone is much easier for me to post than it is going into facebook on my iPhone. Follow me on twitter peeps!
Comment by Mike Nooris — April 2, 2009 @ 8:59 am
Another reason why Twitter is growing fast is because there are no decent competitors…
Pownce started out well, but sadly it is closed now.
Plurk is looking good, and even better for Twitter IMO.
Comment by YS — April 4, 2009 @ 11:13 am
You can find my twitter link on Facebook. It works well together.
Comment by Mark — April 13, 2009 @ 1:58 pm
I don't really get twitter. Its okay, but not nearly as appealing to use as Facebook. Good for instant messaging and posting random stuff off the top of your head but it gets hard to really "network" and know people just by looking at their thoughts. All of it seems kind of narcisstic and dirty to me for some reason. Get inside people's brains and see their inner most thoughts revealed to the world. Kinda scary actually.
Comment by Bal — April 19, 2009 @ 8:34 am