NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Two recent surveys conducted by ABI Research have revealed that compared
to average mobile phone service subscribers, those who also participate
in online social networking via sites such as MySpace, Facebook, and
Bebo are much heavier consumers of digital content including text
messages, mobile email, photos, music, games and mobile TV. These
findings are detailed in a new white paper from ABI Research, available
for free download on the firm’s website.
“The fact that online social networkers
consume more mobile content and media than mobile subscribers who aren’t
into online networking may not be really surprising,”
says principal analyst Nick Holland. “However,
what we have long suspected is now confirmed by the numbers: for most
kinds of mobile content, online social networkers consume about twice as
much as their non-networked peers.”
The two surveys, conducted online in the United States in November,
2007, sampled just over 1000 mobile subscribers and just over 500 online
social network mobile subscribers respectively.
Three quarters of the latter group were aged between 18 and 30, and were
twice as likely to own a smartphone as their non-networked equivalents.
What drives online social networkers towards consumption of mobile
media? They are on average younger and more tech-savvy for a start.
Also, many social networking networks are organized around a specific
media-related interest such as photography or music.
What are the implications for the mobile content industry? According to
Holland, “Advertising on social networks isn’t
working particularly well, so promotion of mobile content on online
social network sites should be a high priority for mobile operators,
content distributors, media companies, and advertisers.”
“Mobile Content End-User Survey,”
a white paper which presents and interprets the results of the two
surveys in detail, is available free on the ABI Research website. (Free
site registration is required.) It can be viewed or downloaded here
(http://www.abiresearch.com/whitepaperDL.jsp?id=32).
ABI Research is a leading market research firm focused on the impact of
emerging technologies on global consumer and business markets. Utilizing
a unique blend of market intelligence, primary research, and expert
assessment from its worldwide team of industry analysts, ABI Research
assists hundreds of clients each year with their strategic growth
initiatives. For information, visit www.abiresearch.com,
or call +1.516.624.2500.