Johannesburg: The microblogging site made its public debut in the year`s most-anticipated IPO, this week, however, Twitter`s popularity is reportedly ceasing in part of Asia, as users are increasingly finding it difficult to deal with.
A Paris-based social media research company, Semiocast had stated that led by Japan, Indonesia, South Korea and India, Asia was the fastest growing region for Twitter in summer 2010, but that has changed owing to popularity of alternative platforms.
According to News24, users in South Korea and Japan, who had joined the site in the wake of March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, are now spending less time on Twitter.
New mobile applications from companies such as South Korea`s Kakao and Japan`s Line have experienced explosive growth, making them potent competitors for eyeballs and advertising.
International users accounted for about three quarters of Twitter`s members but only a quarter of revenue in the first nine months of this year. About 25% of Twitter`s 232 million active users are in Asia.
Analyst at BNP Paribas Justin Lee said that in South Korea and Japan, open type social networking services like Twitter and Facebook are losing steam adding that closed social networking services where messages are shared among a small group of people will become more popular.
Semiocast stated that despite Twitter being banned in China`s vast market, it is still adopted in India where the site has amassed 27 million users there, but low use of smartphones in the country could hamper the company`s growth.
A social media producer and CEO of Logkr Media, Will Tachiiri said that sometimes one can be forced to leave the space or close the account since they were seriously offended, annoyed or traumatized, the report added.
