• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, November 18, 2014

While Twitter continues to struggle with broad consumer adoption, the microblogging giant has never been more popular among top brands.

All told, 70% of Interbrand 100 companies have over 100,000 followers -- up from 58% in the fourth quarter of 2013 -- according to new findings from social media analytics and measurement start-up Simply Measured.

The percentage of big brands that tweet at least once a day has increased from 92% to 94% over the same period, while 75% of brands now send at least three tweets per day.

The figures are particularly impressive, given the rise of rival networks from Instagram to Snapchat. But Twitter continues to hold a unique position in the social ecosystem, while brands are increasingly willing to invest in multiple platforms, according to Kevin Shively, senior content manager at Simply Measured.

“Brands are getting more sophisticated, and that means that instead of abandoning one network for another, they're more likely to adopt new tech into their current marketing mix,” Shively said on Monday. “Each platform presents a unique audience and a unique opportunity. It's no longer a one-size-fits-all model.”

Even more encouraging, users appear to be more comfortable than ever engaging with brands on Twitter.

During the third quarter, Simply Measured recorded 7,266,497 @replies, Retweets, and favorites of brand tweets -- excluding brand-posted retweets and @replies.

As a result, engagement with brand tweets was up 83% over the fourth quarter of 2013. Specifically, the number of retweets of brand tweets increased 89% during the period.

The Interbrand 100 companies also had 27% more followers, compared to the fourth quarter of 2013, which accounted for much of the increase in engagement. Favorites, meanwhile, accounted for 59% of engagement with brand tweets -- up from 48% during the fourth quarter of 2013.

At least among brands, Twitter’s age actually appears to be working in its favor, according to Shively. That’s because brands have identified successful tactics — like limiting their postings -- and plan their strategies accordingly, he said.

Nearly half (49%) of top brands tweet 1-5 times per day -- up from 45% in the fourth quarter of 2013.

Fewer brands posted six to 25 times per day, and only 4% of brands tweeted 10 or more times per day — excluding @replies and retweets — down from 6% during the period.

For Shively, this suggests a more sophisticated and measured approach to the network.

While the number of brands interacting with users individually has increased, brands are aware of oversaturation, and the number of companies posting more than 10 brand tweets per day has decreased, Shively noted.

Brands are, however, engaging more with consumers using @replies and retweets.

Collectively, The Interbrand 100 posted 136,834 tweets in the third quarter of 2014 -- up 22% during the fourth quarter of 2013. @Replies accounted for 70% of brand tweets -- up from 61% during the same period. Meanwhile, 49% of brands replied to at least one tweet per day, while 90% of brands replied to users at least once during the third quarter of 2014.