A new report has found that Facebook is still capturing people’s attention more than any other social media, with Google close behind.
Research company Forrester’s report says 13pc of the time spent on smartphones in the US is spent on Facebook, with Google, on 12pc, perhaps underrepresented due to the phrasing of the research.
It only dealt with downloaded apps, meaning Google, which owns the world’s leading platform Android and has many of its apps already hosted on hundreds of millions of smartphones around the world, is likely to have a higher market share.
Similarly Apple, which reported just 3pc of the market share, is likely to be far higher when you consider its iOS already houses many of Apple’s most-used apps like Maps and Calendar.
This was acknowledged in the report, with Forrester writing, “Apps are worth millions. Platforms are worth billions. If you want to make money in mobile, build a killer platform.”
Facebook vs Google
Regardless, it is still telling that Facebook is playing such a prominent role a decade since its creation. Facebook’s staying power seems largely down to its flexibility and constant changes.
As Business Insider reports, Forrester says Mark Zuckerberg has been willing to “fail fast and learn fast — even publicly,” which demonstrates his strong leadership and vision.
Google’s scale is what Forrester highlights, relating to Android’s dominance, with Apple’s iOS a far smaller market, yet made up of affluent consumers.
“Though nascent as a platform, Facebook owns a large global audience and has a clear sense of purpose, centered on consumers’ inherent desire and need to communicate and a solid plan for how to enhance that experience by integrating services in context.
“Dark horses Amazon and Microsoft have weaknesses but should never be discounted: Amazon leads e-commerce in the US but has struggled to own more categories beyond media; Microsoft owns valuable assets but struggles to amass moments beyond the enterprise.”
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