Social app splitting and the move to mobile

May 15, 2014

With the popularity of mobile apps and the development of tablets and smartphones, it’s no secret that businesses (especially social platforms) are focusing their efforts on becoming more mobile.

Why wouldn’t they? You go to work to work – you have your mobile device to be ‘social’ outside of work (well that’s how it ‘should’ be). So not making your website accessible via a mobile device is crazy in this day and age. However there is a difference between offering your customers a good mobile experience and an outstanding one. Social platforms have identified the issue that many applications do not offer the same level of experience as a desktop and are making the right changes.

Last week, LinkedIn announced that they will be ‘joining Facebook and Google in launching a range of specialised mobile apps to attract new users.’

Just to make things a little easier to understand- LinkedIn will split its main app into many parts, starting with a LinkedIn Pulse app that will allow LinkedIn users to browse news on the go. The stats explain why this is an important move for the social media platform:

When LinkedIn went public in May 2011, around 8% of its users were on mobile, today the figure stands at 41%, and the company is aiming to reach 50% by 2015.

These figures support my initial thoughts that mobile is becoming ever more important, especially within social. It would be interesting to know if you prefer to access your social profiles via desktop or mobile?

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