11 million Britons use mobile phones for social networking

Great Britain has the highest number of people using mobile web versions of social networks in Europe, according to new research released this week.

According to TNS’s Mobile Life 2011 report, more than 11 million people in this country use social networks on their mobile. The study shows that 16% of Brits access social networks every day from their mobile. What’s more, almost half of those in the UK who do not use social networking sites on their mobiles are interested in doing so.

The UK also leads Europe in downloading apps, watching social video and downloading games. An impressive 17 million people in Britain own a smartphone, which explains these figures. The number of mobile phones in Britain actually exceeds the number of people, with around 1.3 phones to every person.

Stephen Yap, group director at TNS Technology explains: “Mobile technology is transforming the lives of Britons at an unprecedented pace. With social networking emerging as a killer application, mobile content and applications have never been more important. Handset makers and operators take note: it’s no longer just about the device or the network, but rather what people are doing and downloading.”

The research affirms that business owners need to make sure that they’re engaging with social networks on mobiles as well as PCs in order to give themselves the best possible chance in a market of increasingly mobile savvy consumers.