Twitter user numbers escalate but some are flying away soon after landing.

Twitter usage is dramatically increasing practically each day. While some do not understand or appreciate twitter, more and more consumers are taking it for a test drive to check it out.

Adults who have accessed Twitter have grown 200% in the past year. In 2008 there were 6 million adults who accessed Twitter at least monthly and that number has grown to over 18 million in 2009. And in June of this year Nielsen Media reported 21 million unique users. 

Those numbers represent 11% of total Internet users and that is expected to increase to over 15% in 2010.

Twitter is a rapidly growing phenomenon, and hospitals across the country are recognizing it, and therefore experimenting with it to find ways to use it effectively.

Perhaps the least understood social medium, Twitter is attracting greater audiences than earlier expected. Hospital marketers cannot ignore this fact. Ways to utilize the microblogging site must be creatively explored. There are already many effective uses of Twitter being utilized in hospitals and healthcare organizations.

Even though Twitter is experiencing exponential growth, the same research indicated that large numbers of users are abandoning Twitter after a short period of experimentation.

Twitter is obviously not for everyone. Some try it and leave it. But if it continues to grow at such a rapid growth, it cannot be ignored.

Twitter should be closely watched to determine if it has stickiness and staying power. In the meantime, marketers should develop strategies for its use in connecting with consumers. If you wait, you may find everyone has flown off without you.