Anyone in the business of providing information to people knows that our growing reliance on mobile devices is changing the way we stay informed and share updates with friends, family, and coworkers. While you may prefer to visit certain websites to get your news every day, it’s also likely that you use mobile apps to stay current on breaking news.
In fact, the immediacy and always-connected nature of smartphones and tablets can encourage people to read more widely on various topics.
Consider the fact that unlike a news site bookmarked in a standard smartphone web browser, a mobile app is always on the home screen, its logo reminding the end user that news is just a tap away.
Friends Keep One Another in the Loop
With social media so intertwined with new mobile devices, the sharing of news and ideas happens quickly and frequently. Even if you’re not actively searching or browsing for news yourself, you can count on friends sending you a text message or updating you on social media about a story they know you’ll find interesting.
Approximately 60% of smartphone owners use a news app, according to a Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute study cited by a recent report from the Newspaper Association of America. With the majority of mobile device users having at least one dedicated news app, if you don’t learn about breaking news from the app, the odds are that someone you know will mention it on social media.
Inspiring More Frequent Usage
With a mobile device always at the ready, it’s easy for people to grab it and snack on news items during idle moments, such as while waiting in line or riding in an elevator.
A study of the Financial Times showed that peak subscriber usage on laptops and desktop computers rose at the start of the business day and decreased as it grew closer to quitting time, noted a report from TheMediaBriefing. A similar spike appeared among mobile device users, with people checking in during their commute.
Once they reached the office, many switched to the desktop computer for more FT news, but when it came time to return home during the evening commute, people used the smartphone app once more to get their end-of-day briefings. They also consumed more news with the app over the weekends. By launching an app, the Financial Times saw more traffic to the site because it gave its subscribers more ways to read.
