Keeping up with where the digital world is heading can be head-spinning. But last week, comScore — an internet analytics company — released a white paper on the current state of e-commerce, media and social networks. We think it’s a must-read.
The report contains compelling data with key insights on digital trends at the end of 2014. The full version can be found here (you’ll have to sign up with a corporate email address), but I summarized the salient statistics below.
Demographics
Millennials continue to be the driving force behind mobile, but the 55 and older demographic doubled its mobile Internet usage in 2014. Last year, 74 percent of the 55 and up group is now using either a desktop, mobile device or both, compared with 60 percent at the end of 2013.
Unique Visitor Growth
Myspace — the social network that everyone was mourning a few years ago — appears to have risen again in 2014. It experienced a 469 percent boost in visitors, thanks to a focus on music and videos.
Refinery29, which follows fashion trends, and Vice, the news site, also received triple-digit increases in clicks. LinkedIn, the business network site that’s a key tool for journalists, looks like it’s poised to compete with the likes of Twitter and Facebook.
Smartphone Software Market Share
Android snatched up a couple percentage points of Blackberry’s dwindling market in 2014, and still has a sizable lead over Apple’s iOS.
The iPhone, however, is still the most popular smartphone in America, according to the report, with Samsung trailing more than 10 points behind. Strong sales of the new iPhone 6 models are giving Apple an edge over its South Korean competitor.
Demographic Composition Of Leading Social Networks
The story here is the ephemeral photo-sharing app Snapchat, which has made big moves over the past six months to establish itself as a leading platform for news and entertainment. As you can see below, 71 percent of its users are between the ages of 18-34, many falling into the millennial bracket.
Brands are obsessed with getting their ads in front of this elusive demographic and that’s why Snapchat is asking them for big money.
Other Key Points
• Mobile commerce is expected to rise 15 percent in 2015, thanks to increasing screen sizes and new sites that cater to smartphone users.
• The new short-form video platforms on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are forcing ad agencies to change their creative strategies.
STORY IDEAS
Millennials And Money: Snapchat’s Aggressive Ad Strategy, Explained
Technology And Money: Facebook Might Change The Way We Read News, For Good
