Look under ubiquitous in a modern dictionary and don’t be surprised to see photo of a smartphone. Yes, mobile phone usage is rising dramatically – but what are users actually doing on those phones?
“The battle for mobile social supremacy is largely a two-horse race these days as Facebook and Google combine to claim one of every four minutes U.S. users spend on mobile devices,” writes Matt Kapko in ChannelWorld.
“Facebook’s collection of mobile apps, including Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp, account for 13 percent of the total people spend using smartphones,” he continues.
Kapko is referring to a recent Forrester Research report that tracked adult smartphone usage for three months. The report shows that a handful of Silicon Valley companies control the lion’s share of mobile usage.
With these tech titans controlling so much of the time spent on mobile devices — and hoping to own even more through initiatives like Facebook Articles and Apple News – brands must become increasingly savvy to build a channel strategy that extends beyond those so-called “owned mobile moments.”
And those moments are largely social media, rather than app-based.
“Most of your customers will not download your mobile app, but you know that mobile is the most important digital touchpoint in which to win, serve, and retain your customers. As a result, you need to borrow, earn, rent, or buy mobile moments from those who own mobile moments with your customers,” notes Julie A. Ask at Forrester.
Mobile phones and their third-party content feeds are a great way to engage your audience, but to truly leverage your reach you must think outside that pre-owned smartphone box.