Whitepaper_SocialNetworking_tyntec_20111201_Final.pdf

8/12/2019 Whitepaper_SocialNetworking_tyntec_20111201_Final.pdf

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White Paper

Social Media and SMS

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Sophisticated Simplicity

In Mobile Interaction


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White Paper

Social Media and SMS

Social Media is one of the most important consumer communications channels on the web today. As

well as dedicated sites such as Facebook and Twitter, aspects of social media interaction are being built

into a whole range of different web sites and services, from retailers through to video hosting sites.

Sophisticated Simplicity


Mobile social networking

One of the key trends in social media has been the rise of mobile functionality, with web-based social

networking providers offering a range of mobile services. The demand for this mobility is clearly

evidenced in consumer behaviour, with Facebook reporting that more than 200 million consumers

currently access the site via mobile.

Much of the focus of mobile social networking to date has been around the creation of mobile rich

media interfaces, essentially the recreation of online social networking functionality through mobile

web pages or smartphone apps. However, whilst these tools have enabled a proportion of consumers

to access social networking on the go, they are failing to cater for a large percentage of potential

users.

The limitations of the mobile web: ubiquity and penetration

The issue lies in the relatively small penetration of internet-enabled smartphones, which is still only around 30% even

in the relatively developed US market (NPD, 2010). This means that, even in the most advanced markets, more than two

thirds of consumers still cannot access rich mobile social networking services on their primary handset.

When you combine this with the relatively low reach of the 3G coverage that enables mobile internet access, it is clear

that rich mobile social networking services are effectively limited in the extent to which they can reach the broadest

consumer audiences.

Mobile alternatives

The answer to this issue lies in a more established mobile technology SMS. SMS is effectively ubiquitous: every

handset is SMS enabled and the vast majority of users understand and know how to use it. Moreover, the GSM network

coverage that supports SMS is near ubiquitous on a global basis.

One of the most important benefits of SMS is its incredible flexibility. Despite being a relatively simple messaging

format, the huge range of SMS services on offer show that it can be applied in a massive variety of use cases. This

holds true in social media as it does in other sectors, with SMS being capable of enabling a broad selection of social

networking functionality from any device, anywhere.


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SMS Social networking

SMS can be used in a wide variety of use cases:

Mobile updates

The simplest SMS social networking functionality is the ability to update a social profile or service

via SMS. Whether this is a micro-blog post, a status update or even a profile alteration, SMS can

be used to facilitate updates to an online service whilst on the move. Social networking is based

around short, timely messages and so the format and usabili ty of SMS lend themselves to this

form of interaction.

Alerting

One of the benefits of social networking is the ability to access updates from friends and contacts

at anytime. SMS can be integrated into this process, with page updates being distributed to

subscribers phones via the channel. These alerts might include updates from selected friends,important changes to friends profiles or invites from other users to join a social group.

Content and applications

The sharing of content and appl ications is a core part of social networking for many users and

SMS can be used as part of the distribution chain for these formats. WAP-Push SMS enables the

cost effective and simple distribution of content via an SMS, making it easy for users to access and

install rich media onto their phones.

Security

With social networks now holding significant volumes of personal information about their

users, privacy and security are paramount. SMS can be used as part of a simple, two-factor

authentication process to enhance the security of the login process. When a user signs into asocial media service a one-time password (OTP) is sent to their registered mobile number to

complete the login process. This ensures that fraudulent users cannot login to a service even

when they have obtained the users password.

Premium services

Monetising social media has been a challenge for many services, with even the largest players

still searching for an effective business model. SMS can be used by any social networking

provider as a premium offering for their free subscribers. For example, users could be asked to

pay for regular SMS updates or the ability to post to their social network via SMS.

Virtual gifting

Virtual gifts are a popular service on many social networks, with users sharing pieces of d igitalcontent as presents for their friends. These virtual gifts can be given a mobile aspect through

distribution via WAP-push SMS messages.


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Munich+49 (89) 202 451 100 London+44 (207) 436 0283 Singapore+65 (6478) 3020

E-Mails [email protected] www.tyntec.com

ophisticated Simplicity


The mobile mix

Mobile is going to be a major part of the future of social networking; the question is how thismobility will be constituted. Undoubtedly, rich mobile access will have a role to play in offering

functionality to the small but growing market of smartphone users. However, any provider of

social networking services who is interested in accessing the vast majority of users who do not

have mobile web access will need to incorporate technologies such as SMS into their mobile

mix.

This argument is even more compelling when one looks at the geographical spread of

social networking and mobile. Whilst the majority of social networks to date are focused on

developed markets, future growth will come from less developed regions where smartphone

penetration and 3G coverage are even lower. For these markets SMS is without question going

to be a key part of mobile growth strategies for social media services.

About tyntec

tyntec is a mobile interaction specialist, enabling businesses to integrate mobile telecom services for a wide range of

uses from enterprise mission-critical applications to internet services. The company reduces the complexity involved

in accessing the closed and complex telecoms world by providing a high quality, easy-to-integrate and global offering

using universal services such as SMS, voice and numbers. Founded in 2002, and with more than 150 staff in fi ve offices

around the globe, tyntec works with 500+ businesses including mobile service providers, enterprises and internet

companies.

Documents

Whitepaper_SocialNetworking_tyntec_20111201_Final.pdf