NEW YORK: Marketers have a "unique and valuable" opportunity to win the attention of Twitter users in Brazil who are already following brands on the platform, but not yet engaging with them directly, a new report has argued.

That is the conclusion of digital marketing agency 360i, which analysed how Brazilians used Twitter as part of its ongoing series exploring social media behaviour in the country as well as in India, South Korea, the UK and the US.

It found Brazilians have some unique cultural and social habits when it comes to using Twitter – for example, using it more as a means of self-expression rather than as a means of connection.

Compared to the other countries surveyed, Brazilian Twitter users are less likely to interact directly with other users, the report found, and they post a higher proportion of status updates about themselves and their personal views.

Also unique to Brazil is that the volume of tweets peak during the mealtime hours of breakfast, lunch and dinner whereas volumes peak during the evening in the US and are more consistent throughout the day in the other three markets.

And unlike in the UK and the US, where emotions other than joy are less likely to be shared publicly on social media, Brazilians are inclined to share any emotion they feel, suggesting they have a higher level of comfort with online self-expression.

In another key finding, the report found a majority of Brazilian Twitter users follow brands to keep updated about new products or share their opinions, but their level of engagement is comparatively low.

Only 3% of tweets in Brazil involve mentions of brands compared with 6% in the UK and as much as 15% in India, but the report expected an increase in brand engagement and brand presence as Brazil's economy continues to develop.

Data sourced from 360i; additional content by Warc