According to comScore, Smartphone usage in the United States grew 55% to over 98 million subscribers in 2011. Tablet, e-reader and other hand-held and connected devices also soared in terms of popularity – along with the use of social media. These always-connected devices were rapidly adopted and the use of this type of internet-on-the-go is ushering in a shift from the desktop to mobile platforms on the go. As availability, affordability and finally, capability of these mobile devices improve and adoption becomes more widespread, the internet will no longer be confined to the home, instead – we’ll find it in our pockets and briefcases. Social media use will then be at our fingertips and within arm’s reach at all times.

1 in 3 North Americans Access Social Networks On Their Phone

When analyzing the top mobile activities across developed world, varying degrees of mobile usage and content preferences emerged. North Americans showed the largest activity in the social network arena – including social networks and blogs. Males and females displayed opposing patterns using smartphones while shopping – with females more apt to make the experience a more social one, including taking product pictures and sharing them with friends and family. This rising trend of social shopping is not limited to North America, as similar trends have emerged elsewhere. In Spain, for example, 52 percent of smartphone owners engage with their phone while shopping.

Mobile Social Networking Surging in the US and EU5

64 million US smartphone users accessed social networks or blogs via their devices in December of 2011, which represents a staggering increase of over 77 percent from the previous year. The numbers were strikingly similar in Europe with 48.4 million – an increase of 76 percent. In the US and the EU5 more than half of mobile social networkers visited their social networks on a daily basis. This key metric alone demonstrates the trend toward the centralized role of mobile access to social networks in consumers’ daily lives.

Mobile Media Consumption

In both the US and the EU5, the most popular activity on social networks was reading posts from people known personally, followed by posting status updates.

Interaction with brands on these sites represented approximately half of social networkers’ activities – including reading posts from organizations/brands/events. US users were more likely (approx 1/3rd) to receive a coupon or deal offer and to click on ads than their European counterparts. This represents an immense opportunity for social networks to monetize their mobile platforms, while also representing another huge opportunity for brands to engage their fans/customers through these direct channels.

Final Thoughts

Social networking on the go is positioned to play an increasingly important role not only for people to connect with their friends, but also for brands and advertisers to engage with consumers. A fast-growing portion of mobile social users already engage with branded content via social networks. This platform will only continue to grow in importance as cheaper, more capable devices become available to consumers – particularly for those advertisers taking advantage of location-based services to engage friends and followers on-the-go.

Brickfish partners with brands and agencies to not only increase fan base, but also increase and monitor fan engagement. Moderation during campaigns enables the real-time curation of content to enforce company branding guidelines and to engage in the conversation taking place in real time. For information on how you can engage your fans and increase your fan base, please visit our website for more information.

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