Research firm comScore has released a new study showing that more than 64 million U.S. based users are using their mobile devices for social networking, more than half accessing the sites daily.
So what are users doing? 85% are checking out social posts from close friends and posting status updates came second at 74%. It’s also interesting that comScore has categorized blog reading as social networking.
While the majority of the study data shows that users are more likely to read posts from friends, it also notes that users are using social networks to interact with brands and organizations. Nearly 58% of these users are reading posts from brand pages; roughly 32% are even likely to click ads through mobile engagement.
Obviously with the growth of mobile the number of users that are engaging on social networks is ramping up significantly. When looking at the 64 million figure, it’s up 77% from the previous year, and daily users are up as much as 88%. This growth is directly related to smartphone adoption and an increase in mobile usage, which comScore has reported is up to 42% of the smartphone owner audience, which is also up 27% from the year prior.
When breaking out the most popular social media apps, it’s no surprise that Facebook is leading the pack across all mobile devices and platforms. Twitter is actually a lot lower in the ranks than Facebook, even behind the social game Words With Friends on iOS and Android.
Even though mobile social media access continues to grow at a breakneck pace, it’s not the only reason people are choosing to purchase smartphones. The study shows us that a phone’s ability to run social networking apps was well down the list of factors when deciding to purchase, the number one reason coming down to the network quality that the mobile carrier provides. The phone’s operating system and application selection is also heavily weighted.
How often do you use a mobile device for social activity? Does the comScore study hit the nail on the head with how users are using social media via mobile? Give us a shout below and let us know your thoughts!
