People have been talking for years about the “post-PC era” when use of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets would exceed that of personal computers. It seems that 2012 is going to be the start of this new era. In 2011 there were 472 million smartphones sold world wide, and tablet sales grew by 250 per cent reaching just about 73 million units sold. How will this change your online marketing strategy for 2012?
In a study recently released by Google along with research firm Ipsos, it was revealed that in 5 major markets mobile phone use had out paced PC use. The countries polled were the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, and Japan all of which confirmed that the post-PC era is upon us.
On top of this another study done by comScore sheds some light on what people are using their mobile devices for. undoubtedly along with entering the post-PC era we are right in the midst of the social media era. ComScore’s study reveals that 64.2 million U.S. citizens are using their smartphones and tablets for social networking, and more than half of those are doing so almost every day. Among these 64 million Americans the most popular social media activity is keeping tabs on friends with 84.6% saying they check out posts from people they know personally. On the other hand people are increasingly using social media to interact with brands. 58% of U.S. mobile device users said they read posts from companies or brands and 32% said they would be likely to click on ads while social networking.
These studies tell me one thing that I think all of you should know by now, the internet marketing atmosphere isn’t changing, it has already changed and is rolling downhill with a full head of steam. Staying ahead of the curve in this dynamic marketing world is key and the key to that will be to have your finger on the pulse of mobile and social media.
Wondering what you can do to capitalize on the rise of mobile? Inquire through our Wikimotive contact form and we’ll be happy to give you some free advice, and even set up a custom mobile site for you!