This year, COVID-19 and social justice took out the top spots in Twitter’s most tweeted topics in Australia.
For the first time in years, #COVID19 edged out #auspol as the most tweeted hashtag in Australia. #COVID19, and variations of it, was tweeted nearly 400 million times worldwide.
Angus Keene, Head of Client Partnerships at Twitter Australia, found that the difficulty of 2020 also ignited a strong sense of community and social justice in Australia’s Twitter activity.
“It will come as no surprise that the most tweeted hashtag in Australia and globally this year was #COVID19. As people across the globe faced the pandemic together, we saw people come to Twitter to find reliable information, connect with others, engage in their interests and follow what’s happening in real-time,” said Mr Keene.
“While we learnt to take care of ourselves amid a global pandemic, we didn’t forget to stand up for what’s right and voice concerns over growing concerns for the planet.
“Australians joined the conversation around #climatechange, particularly in the face of the Australian bushfires, with influential voices like Greta Thunberg and our own Mike Cannon-Brookes taking a stand on Twitter.”
Australia’s most retweeted and most liked Tweet in 2020 was the same, mourning the loss of Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman.
2020 was also the year where internet usage surged, swelling Twitter’s global user base by 29 per cent year-on-year to 187 million daily users.
“More Australians than ever came to Twitter in 2020 to connect, find out what was happening in the world and join or follow the conversations.”
Twitter also presented an opportunity for businesses to grow their customer base as the world moved online.
“For businesses, this presents a prime opportunity to connect with a growing and influential audience.
“What we’ve seen throughout the year are brands really leaning into Twitter to launch something new and to connect with what’s happening in the world. We know that our users like to be the first to try new things – they influence friends and family – and they are more likely to be the first to try products. Many brands recognised this as an opportunity.”
Mr Keene points to successful social media campaigns such as the Milo hot vs cold campaign.
“@MiloANZ’s hot vs cold campaign is a great example of how brands can connect to cultural moments. It sparked a real-time virtual debate that asked Aussies to pick a side on how they like their favourite chocolate drink served — hot and creamy, or cold and crunchy. By tapping into an age-old question that resonated with Australians it was able to spark engagement and keep the brand top of mind.”
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