One in five smartphone users access mobile check-in services 

Tuesday, May 17 2011 by Mark Richards

The value of mobile for search engine optimisation providers and internet consultants is becoming more and more clear with each report on the topic. A new study of mobile social networking check-in service users from comScore adds further weight to the importance of local, mobile services.

Based on data from its comScore MobiLens service, the study shows that 16.7 million US mobile subscribers used location-based check-in services on their phones in March 2011. This represents 7.1 per cent of all mobile phone users in the country. Check-in service users are defined as those accessing platforms such as Facebook Places, Foursquare and Gowalla.

Smartphone owners accounted for 12.7 million of these check-in users - equivalent to 17.6 per cent of the smartphone population. The study also found that check-in service users are more likely to access retail sites, shopping guides and technology news, as well as being more inclined to own a tablet device.

"Although still in their relative infancy, location-based mobile check-in services are seeing rather impressive adoption among smartphone users," said Mark Donovan, comScore senior vice-president of mobile. "The ability to interact with consumers on this micro-local level through special offers, deals and other incentives provides brands with the real-time opportunity to engage consumers through their mobile device."

The study also indentified a key demographic for internet consultants to target, with 18 to 34-year-olds accounting for nearly 60 per cent of check-in service users.

Meanwhile, the breakdown of check-in service users by technology revealed Android's dominance. It accounted for the largest share, with 36.6 per cent checking in from an Android device, while 33.7 percent of users checked in from an iPhone. Blackberry maker Research In Motion was responsible for 22 per cent of users, while Microsoft, Palm and Symbian each accounted for less than five per cent.

It comes as the latest InMobi Mobile Insights Report reveals the North American mobile ad market was up 17 per cent in April, driven by a 37 per cent increase in smartphone ads. According to the study, a "significant" eight in ten mobile impressions in North America is now on a smartphone device.

"Smartphone impression growth, primarily on Android and iPhone OS, continues to fuel the growth of in app advertising, which grew by 58 percent from January to April 2011," the authors said.

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