Mobile devices aren’t just becoming must-have tools for adults—teens are latching onto their phones in droves, using them for a variety of applications including games, communication and connecting to social platforms, to name a few.
And although it’s likely no surprise that teens use their mobile devices a lot, it’s important to understand how they’re using them—and how those numbers are evolving over time. After all, these teenagers may become your business or brand’s customer base in a few years—and the better you understand what sort of information and services they want and how they search for and access that information, the better you can poise your brand—and your brand’s online presence—to tap into this sizable and potentially powerful market.
Fun Mobility’s “Generation OMG: How Teens Use Mobile Devices” offers a great snapshot of how teens used their mobile devices in 2011. Some of the more notable facts include:
- Teen cell phone data usage tripled in 2011.
- Voice usage has declined an average of more than 100 minutes/month.
- Female teens text 28 percent more frequently than their male counterparts.
- Forty percent of teenagers use a mobile phone or device for more than 4 hours a day; 32 percent use a mobile phone or device for more than 5 hours/day.
- A whopping 76 percent said they spend more time on their mobile device than they did one year ago.
- The four most popular things to do on a mobile device are play games, browse the Internet, text or chat and download apps.
While some of us have become reliant on our mobile devices, Fun Mobility’s research shows that teens are quickly becoming downright dependent on their mobile devices. And this signals a larger shift to mobile access that’s becoming more prevalent as each year passes. Sophisticated smartphones and tablet computers are making mobile more accessible to a larger group of users, and as more people incorporate these devices into their daily routines, they’re becoming increasingly likely to consume content, connect with others and even make purchase decisions in the palm of their hand.
And that means that if your business isn’t already thinking about (or implementing) a mobile marketing strategy, now’s the time. Something we can’t emphasize enough to our clients is that a successful mobile strategy goes far beyond simply having a mobile version of your website and/or blog. It’s about understanding what devices people are using to access your information, what they’re searching for and how you can best deliver what they need in an efficient, user-friendly manner that not only helps them in a specific instance—it keeps them coming back for more, too.
Were you surprised by Fun Mobility’s findings regarding teens and mobile devices? And, if you’re up for sharing, how is your company tackling the larger task of mobile marketing?
Lead image by Zawezome via Creative Commons
