Japanese social networking – it’s all mobile
8th January 2010, 12:11 am by Matt Rhodes
- Image via Wikipedia
Three-quarters of Japanese social network users access the sites only from their mobile phones.
This observation comes from a survey conducted last year with almost 4,000 social network users in Japan by Mobile Marketing Data Labo. They found that 75.4% of respondents only accessed social networking sites from their mobile phone (and not from their PC). The number only accessing it from their PC (and not their mobile phone) was very low at just 2%.
This is a reflection on the mobile nature of the internet in Japan where 3G penetration stands at 95% of the market and 85% of customers have a data plan added to their contract. This is a much more developed mobile market than we see in Europe or North America and their use of mobile online services is world-leading.
These an other insights into the Japanese mobile social networking market is found in the great presentation below from Alexei Poliakov.
There is much that we can all learn from looking at the use of mobile internet, and the way it has influenced social networks in Japan. Whilst in other markets the growth in social networks sees a growth the likes of Twitter and Facebook, in Japan, homegrown social networks dominate. This is, in part, a result of the English-centric focus of these sites, at least initially. But also mobile social networking leads to a different type of site and different uses by consumers. In Japan, mixi and Mobage-town and Gree are incredibly successful social networks. Mixi has a reported 17 million users in Japan, compared with 1.4 million Facebook users and about half a million Japanese people on Twitter.
These social networks are very different in two main ways:
- They put gaming either central to or highly within the user experience. Facebook and Twitter tend to be about content exchange or organisation whereas the Japanese social networks have a strong gaming element that attracts and connects users.
- Premium content is often paid-for. Mixi, in particular, provides premium content and features at a fee to users and this is easily done by adding it to their mobile bill. (This trend explained the rumours that Twitter would charge for access in Japan)
Whilst it is unlikely that other markets will necessarily develop in the same way, it is interesting to see how these sites work and operate in Japan. An increasing penetration of 3G access and data-plan adoption in Europe, and the US, will see more and more people using their mobile as a major access point to the internet in 2010. And with social networking sites from Facebook to Twitter becoming more mobile friendly (such as the launch of push notifications on the iPhone from the Facebook app this week in the UK) it is likely that use of social networks from mobile devices will increase this year.
So we should learn more about what is happening in the more developed mobile markets like Japan. Whether it is simple things – such as brands allowing customers to complete a whole journey (from social networking site to purchased item) on convenient mobile platforms. Or more complex things – such as the adoption of paid-for add-ons to the mobile social networking experience. There is a lot for us to observe and a lot we should experiment with.
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Alexei Poliakov:
Matt,
Thank you for a great summary! I couldn’t have said it better.
Alexe
10 January 2010, 9:33 amJapanese Social Networking – It’s All Mobile. | GAby Menta:
[...] FreshNetworks VN:F [1.8.0_1031]please wait…Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)VN:F [1.8.0_1031]Rating: 0 (from 0 [...]
11 January 2010, 1:37 pmMorgan Stanley’s Mobile Internet Report 2010 | FreshNetworks Blog:
[...] wrote a couple of weeks ago about the role of mobile in the Japanese social networking market. It is a market where consumer internet use is driven as much by mobile devices as by PCs. Japan, [...]
16 January 2010, 11:35 amTime spent on social networks increases 82% in 2009 | FreshNetworks Blog:
[...] unsurprisingly, has the largest number of social network user (142 million). They are followed by Japan (with 47 million users) and Brazil (with 31 million). The UK comes in fourth place with 29 million [...]
24 January 2010, 9:52 pmJapan Australia:
Great Story!!
Japan has the best mobile technology so it is no surprise to hear that most of their internet access is done by mobiles rather than a PC.
25 January 2010, 7:26 amAnonymous:
[...] January 29 by digitalrecruitmentdigest We wrote a couple of weeks ago about the role of mobile in the Japanese social networking market. It is a market where consumer internet use is driven as much by mobile devices as by PCs. Japan, [...]
29 January 2010, 2:27 pmMorgan Stanley’s Mobile Internet Report 2010 «:
[...] 2010 January 16 by digitalrecruitmentdigest We wrote a couple of weeks ago about the role of mobile in the Japanese social networking market. It is a market where consumer internet use is driven as much by mobile devices as by PCs. Japan, [...]
29 January 2010, 2:30 pmEpisode 10 – iPads, Tablets, Slates, Free | HIVE45:
[...] iPod Why The Japanese Hate the iPhone A 2008 Comparison of iPhone vs Japanese Phone Capabilities Japanese Social Networking is All Mobile-Based Amazon Kindle E-Book Reader Wall Street Journal $17.29 Per Month on iPad Sports Illustrated [...]
8 April 2010, 3:42 pmInsights into the Japan Social Networking Market « Community Connect:
[...] reading up on Japan Social Networking and stumbled upon Fresh Networks article re: “Japanese Social Networking–It’s All Mobile“, posted in January 2010. Here are some highlights/notes gleaned from the [...]
27 April 2010, 11:18 pmBrazil tops league of social media users | Social media agency London | FreshNetworks blog:
[...] one that needs further investigation to fully understand it. For example, in Japan people are very likely to be accessing sites on mobile devices and so are less likely to spend time browsing sites and more likely to achieve particular tasks [...]
15 June 2010, 9:39 pmRenata:
Really nice!!!
Have you ever use GALAXY o. It’s a mobile social network which allows you to live a full virtual life in your mobile phone!
http://in-galaxy.com/?p=9
It’s one of the best mobile social network of today that i know!
16 July 2010, 10:15 amsocial networks:
Social network is the latest internet marketing strategy. With mobile the power of social marketing further expedited. Now a day’s due to mobile phone any body can update his status by cell phone even when he is on the road. social media aggregator with mobile phone is the best solution for internet marketing.
4 December 2010, 12:16 pmThanks
Hans
Japonia:
Thanks for this article. It looks exactly what you’ve said
24 December 2010, 12:17 pmIn Social Media Use Brazil is #1:
[...] one that needs further investigation to fully understand it. For example, in Japan people are very likely to be accessing sites on mobile devices and so are less likely to spend time browsing sites and more likely to achieve particular tasks [...]
26 January 2011, 9:29 pmDharmesh Jagani:
ya now a days there the value of social networking sites will be increase. But before few years ago no one no about facebook but now a days every one know about facebook and also its user day by day increasing so social networking is very good to connect people..
11 March 2011, 12:42 pm