The Twitter Analytics Tools Your Competitors Are Hiding From You

⚡ Quick Answer (Best Twitter Analytics Tools)

Top 3 Tools by Use Case:

Free Analytics:

• Twitter Analytics (Native) - Basic insights, engagement rates, top tweets
• TweetDeck - Real-time monitoring, multi-account management
• Followerwonk - Free follower analysis (limited)

Paid Tools (Best ROI):

• SocialRails ($19/mo) - Comprehensive analytics + scheduling
• Hootsuite ($99/mo) - Enterprise-level insights
• Sprout Social ($249/mo) - Advanced reporting

To maximize your Twitter strategy with data-driven insights, learn how to use Twitter analytics to grow your business effectively with the tools listed in this guide.

Quick stat: Accounts using analytics tools grow 3.2x faster than those posting blindly. The difference? Data-driven decisions vs. guessing.

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Why Twitter Analytics Tools Matter

The Growth Gap

Without analytics:

Post random content → Hope it works → Slow/no growth
Engagement rate: 0.5-1%
Follower growth: 5-10/month
No idea what works

With analytics tools:

Track what works → Post more of it → Accelerate growth
Engagement rate: 2-5%
Follower growth: 50-200/month
Data-driven decisions

Real impact metrics:

• 312% higher engagement when posting at optimal times (identified via analytics)
• 5.7x more retweets on content types analytics identify as top-performing
• 68% faster follower growth when tracking and optimizing based on data
• $2,400 average monthly value from improved Twitter marketing (for businesses)

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Native Twitter (X) Analytics

What Twitter Analytics Offers (Free)

Access: https://analytics.twitter.com

Key Metrics Available:

1. Tweet Activity

Impressions: How many times tweet was seen
Engagements: Total interactions (likes, RTs, replies, clicks)
Engagement rate: Engagements ÷ Impressions
Link clicks: URL click-throughs
Detail expands: Profile/tweet expansion clicks
New followers: From this specific tweet

Benchmark your engagement: Use our Twitter Engagement Benchmark Calculator to see how your engagement rate compares against industry standards and competitor performance.

2. Audience Insights

Demographics:
- Top countries
- Top cities
- Languages spoken
- Gender split

Interests:
- Lifestyle categories
- Consumer behavior
- What your followers care about

Buying style:
- Brand affinities
- Shopping preferences

3. Video Analytics

Views: Total video plays
Completion rate: % who watched to end
Watch time: Total minutes watched
Engagement: Likes, RTs on video

4. Performance Overview

Top tweet of month
Tweet impressions trend (28 days)
Profile visits
Mentions
Followers gained/lost

How to Use Twitter Analytics Effectively

Daily Check (5 minutes):

1. Check yesterday's top-performing tweet
2. Note what made it successful (topic, format, time)
3. Check engagement rate trend
4. Monitor follower change

Weekly Deep Dive (30 minutes):

1. Export last 7 days of tweet data
2. Identify top 3 tweets by engagement rate
3. Find common patterns (topics, format, time, hashtags)
4. Check which tweets drove most profile visits
5. Analyze follower demographics shifts

Monthly Strategy Review (1 hour):

1. Compare month-over-month growth
2. Identify best-performing content types
3. Find optimal posting times
4. Audit audience demographics
5. Set next month's goals based on data

Twitter Analytics Limitations

What's missing:

• ❌ Competitor tracking
• ❌ Follower growth analytics beyond count
• ❌ Hashtag performance analysis
• ❌ Scheduling functionality
• ❌ Multi-account management
• ❌ Historical data beyond 28-90 days
• ❌ Follower quality analysis (bot detection)
• ❌ Automated reporting

Solution: Combine native analytics with third-party tools below.

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Best Twitter Follower Tools

1. Followerwonk (by Moz)

Best for: Follower analysis and comparison

Free Plan:

• Search Twitter bios
• Analyze followers (up to 1 account)
• Compare followers between accounts (limited)
• Sort followers by influence

Paid Plan ($29/mo):

• Track follower growth over time
• Analyze unlimited accounts
• Export follower lists
• Advanced bio search
• Historical follower data

Key Features:

✓ Find influencers in your niche
✓ Discover when followers are active
✓ Compare your followers to competitors
✓ Track follower growth trends
✓ Identify high-value followers

Best Use Cases:

• Finding influencers to engage with
• Understanding follower demographics
• Competitive follower analysis
• Identifying fake followers
• Optimizing posting times

Pros:

• Deep follower insights
• Competitor analysis
• Find connection opportunities
• Data export capabilities

Cons:

• Limited free features
• Slow processing on large accounts
• Interface feels dated
• No scheduling features

Rating: 4.2/5 ⭐

2. Circleboom

Best for: Follower cleanup and management

Free Plan:

• Basic account analysis
• Limited follower insights

Paid Plan ($12.99/mo):

• Delete all tweets at once
• Unlike all tweets
• Find and remove inactive followers
• Identify fake/bot followers
• Smart follower search
• Tweet scheduler

Key Features:

✓ Follower quality analysis
✓ Fake follower detection
✓ Inactive follower finder
✓ Mass tweet deletion
✓ Interest-based follower search
✓ Egghead (no profile pic) finder

Best Use Cases:

• Cleaning up follower list
• Removing bot followers
• Finding quality followers to engage
• Tweet archive management
• Account health optimization

Pros:

• Comprehensive follower cleanup
• Bot detection
• Affordable pricing
• Easy to use

Cons:

• Limited analytics depth
• Basic reporting
• No competitor tracking

Rating: 4.0/5 ⭐

3. Audiense (formerly SocialBrank)

Best for: Enterprise-level audience intelligence

Pricing: Custom (starts ~$1000/mo)

Key Features:

✓ Deep audience segmentation
✓ Psychographic analysis
✓ Persona development
✓ Influencer identification
✓ Community insights
✓ Competitor audience analysis

Best Use Cases:

• Large brand audience research
• Campaign targeting
• Market research
• Influencer marketing
• B2B lead generation

Pros:

• Most comprehensive audience data
• Advanced segmentation
• Actionable insights
• Enterprise support

Cons:

• Very expensive
• Overkill for small businesses
• Steep learning curve
• Requires dedicated analyst

Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐ (for enterprise)

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Best All-in-One Twitter Analytics Platforms

1. SocialRails

Best for: Small to medium businesses and creators

Pricing: Starting at $19/month

Key Features:

✓ Twitter analytics + 8 other platforms
✓ Engagement tracking
✓ Best time to post analysis
✓ Content scheduling
✓ Performance reports
✓ Follower growth tracking
✓ Hashtag analytics
✓ Competitor monitoring

Analytics Capabilities:

• Real-time engagement metrics
• Tweet performance comparison
• Optimal posting times
• Hashtag performance
• Audience demographics
• Custom date ranges
• Export to CSV/PDF

Best Use Cases:

• Multi-platform management
• Small business marketing
• Creator analytics
• Team collaboration
• Affordable comprehensive solution

Pros:

• Best value for money
• Multi-platform (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.)
• Easy to use
• Good customer support
• No learning curve

Cons:

• Not as deep as enterprise tools
• Newer platform (fewer integrations)

Rating: 4.6/5 ⭐

2. Hootsuite

Best for: Mid-size to large businesses

Pricing: $99-$739/month

Key Features:

✓ Advanced Twitter analytics
✓ Custom reports
✓ Team performance tracking
✓ Competitor analysis
✓ Sentiment analysis
✓ Bulk scheduling
✓ Team collaboration
✓ Content library

Analytics Capabilities:

• Comprehensive dashboards
• Custom metrics tracking
• Scheduled reports
• Cross-platform comparison
• ROI tracking
• Influencer identification

Best Use Cases:

• Agency management
• Large team collaboration
• Multi-brand management
• Enterprise reporting
• Client reporting

Pros:

• Robust feature set
• Excellent team features
• Good integrations
• Established platform
• Training resources

Cons:

• Expensive
• Can be overwhelming
• Slow interface at times
• Analytics require higher tier

Rating: 4.1/5 ⭐

3. Sprout Social

Best for: Enterprise organizations

Pricing: $249-$499/month per user

Key Features:

✓ Advanced analytics suite
✓ Social listening
✓ Competitive intelligence
✓ Message spike alerts
✓ Team performance reports
✓ Custom workflows
✓ CRM integration
✓ API access

Analytics Capabilities:

• Premium analytics reports
• Listening & trends
• Competitive analysis
• Influencer tracking
• Message tagging
• Custom report builder
• Presentation-ready reports

Best Use Cases:

• Large enterprises
• Global brands
• Agencies with enterprise clients
• Data-driven marketing teams
• C-suite reporting

Pros:

• Most comprehensive analytics
• Beautiful reporting
• Excellent support
• Enterprise-grade features
• Listening tools included

Cons:

• Very expensive
• Per-user pricing adds up
• May be overkill for SMB
• Requires training

Rating: 4.7/5 ⭐

4. Buffer

Best for: Simplicity and affordability

Pricing: $6-$120/month

Key Features:

✓ Basic Twitter analytics
✓ Easy scheduling
✓ Team collaboration
✓ Post performance
✓ Engagement tracking
✓ Optimal timing suggestions

Analytics Capabilities:

• Tweet performance metrics
• Engagement summary
• Best time to post
• Clicks and reach
• Audience growth
• Simple reporting

Best Use Cases:

• Solo creators
• Small businesses
• Simple social management
• Budget-conscious users
• Beginners

Pros:

• Very affordable
• Extremely easy to use
• Clean interface
• Good mobile app
• Reliable scheduling

Cons:

• Basic analytics only
• Limited reporting
• No competitor tracking
• No listening features

Rating: 4.3/5 ⭐

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Specialized Twitter Analytics Tools

Hashtag Analytics

1. RiteTag

Pricing: Free (limited), $49/mo (pro)

Features:

• Real-time hashtag suggestions
• Hashtag engagement prediction
• Trending hashtag alerts
• Hashtag performance history

Best for: Maximizing hashtag reach

2. Hashtagify

Pricing: Free (basic), $29-$99/mo

Features:

• Hashtag popularity trends
• Related hashtag suggestions
• Influencer identification
• Hashtag analytics

Best for: Hashtag research and strategy

Competitor Analysis

1. Social Blade

Pricing: Free (with limits)

Features:

• Track any Twitter account growth
• Compare multiple accounts
• Future projections
• Historical data

Best for: Monitoring competitor growth

Limitations:

• Basic metrics only
• No content analysis
• Limited historical data on free plan

2. Twitonomy

Pricing: Free (basic), $19-$199/mo

Features:

• Deep account analysis
• Competitor monitoring
• Tweet analytics
• Follower analysis
• Export capabilities

Best for: Comprehensive competitor research

Engagement & Mention Tracking

1. TweetDeck (Free)

Features:

• Real-time feed monitoring
• Multiple columns (mentions, DMs, lists)
• Multi-account management
• Quick engagement

Best for: Real-time monitoring

Limitations:

• No analytics/reporting
• No scheduling (basic only)
• Desktop-only (officially)

2. Mention

Pricing: $41-$249/mo

Features:

• Brand mention tracking
• Sentiment analysis
• Influencer identification
• Competitive monitoring
• Alerts

Best for: Brand monitoring at scale

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How to Choose the Right Twitter Analytics Tool

Decision Matrix

Answer these questions:

1. What's your budget?

$0: Twitter Analytics + TweetDeck
$6-30/mo: Buffer or Circleboom
$50-100/mo: SocialRails or Followerwonk
$100-500/mo: Hootsuite or Sprout Social
$500+/mo: Audiense or enterprise solutions

2. What's your main goal?

Grow followers → Followerwonk + Circleboom
Track engagement → SocialRails or Buffer
Competitor research → Twitonomy or Social Blade
Brand monitoring → Mention or Sprout Social
Full marketing suite → Hootsuite or Sprout

3. How many accounts?

1 account: Buffer or native Twitter Analytics
2-5 accounts: SocialRails or Hootsuite (lower tier)
6-15 accounts: Hootsuite or Sprout
16+ accounts: Sprout or enterprise

4. Team size?

Solo: Buffer, SocialRails, or Circleboom
2-5 people: SocialRails or Hootsuite
6-20 people: Hootsuite or Sprout
21+ people: Sprout Social

5. Other platforms?

Twitter only: Twitter Analytics + follower tool
2-3 platforms: SocialRails or Buffer
4+ platforms: Hootsuite or Sprout

Recommended Combinations

Starter Stack (Free):

• Twitter Analytics (performance)
• TweetDeck (monitoring)
• Social Blade (competitor tracking)
• Total cost: $0/mo

Growth Stack ($20-50/mo):

• SocialRails ($19/mo)
• Followerwonk ($29/mo) OR Circleboom ($12.99/mo)
• Total cost: $32-48/mo

Professional Stack ($100-150/mo):

• Hootsuite ($99/mo)
• Followerwonk ($29/mo)
• RiteTag ($49/mo)
• Total cost: $177/mo

Enterprise Stack ($500+/mo):

• Sprout Social ($249/mo per user)
• Audiense (custom pricing)
• Mention ($249/mo)
• Total cost: $500-2000+/mo

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Key Metrics to Track

Essential Twitter Metrics

1. Follower Growth Rate

Formula: (New Followers - Unfollows) ÷ Total Followers × 100

Good rate: 2-5% monthly
Great rate: 5-10% monthly
Excellent: 10%+ monthly

Track weekly to spot trends

2. Engagement Rate

Formula: Total Engagements ÷ Impressions × 100

Average: 0.5-1%
Good: 1-3%
Great: 3-6%
Viral: 6%+

Benchmark against your own past performance

3. Top Tweet Performance

What to track:
- Highest engagement tweet
- Most impressions
- Most profile visits
- Best engagement rate

Why: Identify winning content patterns

4. Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Formula: Link Clicks ÷ Impressions × 100

Average: 1-3%
Good: 3-5%
Great: 5%+

Essential for driving traffic

5. Reply Rate

Formula: Replies ÷ Total Tweets × 100

Shows conversation quality
High reply rate = strong community

6. Best Time to Post

Analyze:
- Engagement by hour
- Engagement by day
- Your audience's active times

Optimize posting schedule accordingly

7. Hashtag Performance

Track:
- Impressions with vs. without hashtags
- Which hashtags drive most engagement
- Trending hashtag opportunities

Advanced Metrics (Paid Tools)

8. Share of Voice

Your mentions ÷ Total industry mentions

Shows market presence
Compare to competitors

9. Sentiment Analysis

Positive mentions vs. negative

Track brand health
Identify PR issues early

10. Follower Quality Score

Real followers ÷ Total followers × 100

Identify bot problem
Audit account health

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How to Set Up Twitter Analytics

Step 1: Enable Twitter Analytics

Desktop:

1. Go to https://analytics.twitter.com
2. Sign in with your Twitter account
3. Accept terms and conditions
4. Wait 24-48 hours for data population

Mobile:

• Not available directly
• Use mobile browser in desktop mode
• Or wait for desktop access

Step 2: Connect Third-Party Tool

For SocialRails (example):

1. Sign up at socialrails.com
2. Click "Connect Account"
3. Choose "Twitter/X"
4. Authorize access
5. Data starts populating immediately

For Hootsuite:

1. Create account
2. Add social network
3. Select Twitter
4. Authorize
5. Choose which accounts to track

For Followerwonk:

1. Sign up with Twitter
2. Grant access
3. Click "Analyze" → Enter Twitter handle
4. View follower insights

Step 3: Set Up Tracking

Custom tracking to implement:

Content categories:

• Tag tweets by type (promotional, educational, entertaining)
• Track performance by category
• Double down on winners

Campaign tracking:

• Use UTM parameters in links
• Track which tweets drive conversions
• Calculate ROI per tweet

Competitor benchmarks:

• List 5-10 competitors
• Track their growth monthly
• Learn from their successes

Goals & KPIs:

• Set monthly follower goal
• Target engagement rate
• Website traffic goal from Twitter
• Lead/sale goals

Step 4: Create Reporting Schedule

Daily (5 min):

• Check yesterday's performance
• Respond to high-engagement tweets
• Note any viral moments

Weekly (30 min):

• Review top tweets
• Analyze follower growth
• Plan next week's content based on data

Monthly (1-2 hours):

• Full performance review
• Compare to goals
• Identify trends
• Adjust strategy
• Create report for stakeholders

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best free Twitter analytics tool?

Twitter's native Analytics (analytics.twitter.com) is the best free option, providing impressions, engagements, follower demographics, and top tweet data. For follower analysis, combine it with Followerwonk's free tier and TweetDeck for real-time monitoring. This stack costs $0 and covers most basic analytics needs.

How do I track my Twitter follower growth?

Use Twitter Analytics to see follower count changes in the last 28 days. For historical tracking, use tools like Social Blade (free), Followerwonk ($29/mo), or SocialRails ($19/mo). These tools graph your growth over time, show follower gain/loss rates, and help identify what content drives follower growth.

Can I see who unfollowed me on Twitter?

Twitter doesn't show who unfollowed you natively. Third-party tools that track unfollowers include: Circleboom ($12.99/mo), Followerwonk ($29/mo), and Crowdfire. These tools compare your follower list over time and notify you of unfollows. However, obsessing over unfollows isn't productive—focus on growing quality followers instead.

How do I know if my Twitter followers are fake?

Check for bot indicators: no profile picture, random username (name + numbers), few/no tweets, following thousands but few followers, generic bio. Tools that identify fake followers: Circleboom (bot detection), SparkToro (audience quality), TwitterAudit (free basic scan). Aim for 85%+ real followers for healthy account.

What's a good Twitter engagement rate?

Average Twitter engagement rate is 0.5-1%. Good is 1-3%, great is 3-6%, and viral is 6%+. Calculate it as: (Total Engagements ÷ Impressions) × 100. Engagement rate matters more than follower count—10,000 followers with 2% engagement beats 100,000 followers with 0.5% engagement for actual reach and impact.

Are paid Twitter analytics tools worth it?

For businesses, yes. Paid tools ($20-100/mo) provide competitor analysis, optimal posting times, hashtag performance, follower quality insights, and historical data that free tools don't offer. If Twitter drives revenue or is part of your marketing strategy, the ROI typically justifies $20-50/mo. Solo hobbyists can stick with free tools.

How do I track my competitors on Twitter?

Use Social Blade (free) to track any account's follower growth and engagement. For deeper analysis, use Twitonomy ($19/mo) to analyze their content strategy, posting frequency, and top tweets. SocialRails, Hootsuite, and Sprout Social offer competitor tracking features including alerts when competitors post, engagement comparison, and share of voice metrics.

What Twitter metrics should I track for business?

Essential business metrics: (1) Follower growth rate - shows audience building success, (2) Engagement rate - measures content quality, (3) Click-through rate - tracks traffic to your website, (4) Conversions from Twitter - leads/sales attributed to Twitter, (5) Best performing content types - what resonates with your audience. Use Twitter Analytics + Google Analytics with UTM parameters to track the full funnel.

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Related Tools & Resources

Twitter Strategy:

• Best Time to Post on Twitter - Optimize posting schedule
• How to Increase Twitter Impressions - Grow your reach
• How to Get Followers on Twitter - Growth strategies
• Advanced Twitter Search Guide - Find opportunities

Content Tools:

• Campaign URL Builder - Track Twitter traffic with UTM parameters
• Best Social Media Scheduler - Schedule tweets strategically
• Quote Image Generator - Create shareable Twitter quote graphics

Analytics & Tracking:

• Social Media Analytics Guide - Comprehensive tracking
• Best Times to Post Calculator - Multi-platform timing optimization
• Social Media ROI Guide - Prove marketing value

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The truth competitors don't tell you: They're not guessing what to post—they're using analytics tools to identify exactly what works and doubling down on it.

The difference between slow growth and explosive growth isn't talent or luck. It's data.

Start with free Twitter Analytics today, track your metrics for 30 days, and you'll see exactly which content drives results. Then invest in paid tools once you understand what metrics matter for YOUR account.

Analytics aren't optional anymore. They're the difference between shouting into the void and building an engaged audience that drives real business results.