With 68% of British smartphone users now accessing social media via their device*, we are increasingly getting our news from social sites while on the move.
Big news stories often break first on social sites such as Twitter, with people able to get updates instantly to their mobile device. And real-time social media reaction is also becoming part of the news story.
So, with more mobile devices and more opportunities to interact with content, plus an empowered consumer, how can media owners keep up?
At Metro, we're adapting to ensure we're able to share our content on the move across any device. Our responsively designed, fully mobile optimised website launched at the end of last year with content optimised for social sharing.
Current initiatives being trialled to create more shareable content include the use of rich media - large, insightful images and videos - as well as relevant social media reaction within stories to add value.
We've also changed the way visitors can engage with our content by adding Facebook comments which provide a better mobile experience and drive social referral traffic back to the site. The result? A higher frequency of visits as people see notifications that they are getting replies when they log into Facebook, prompting them to return to the page and pick up the conversation again.
In 2013, we expect to see even more growth in the number of people accessing our content on the move via social media. The key focus for brands in the future will be how we use data to extract even more value from social. Analysis of what drives social audience will increasingly dictate the content of news stories as well as the way in which they are reported.
*Pew Research Centre's Global Attitudes Project, December 2012