Mobile Users Enable Local Discovery via Apps

Whether you are a fan of Google, or Yelp, local search is a focus for both businesses and mobile users.

Enter MeeLocal, just released to iTunes on March 15, 2013.

A new entrant to the local discovery market, MeeLocal allows users to create and curate lists through images, hashtags and geo-tagged content.

“Local is one thing. HyperLocal is another,” said Stephen Danelian, founder of MeeLocal. “We live our lives through discovery and sharing. Making a way to enable that in a simple yet powerful way is what we are focused on.”

The mobile app market has continued to blossom as mobile device proliferation continues to trend upward and people share their experiences in real-time.

According to IDC, in 2012, “the global market for mobile phones grew 1.2% on shipments of more than 1.7 billion units.” And based on Cisco reports, global mobile data traffic grew 70 percent in 2012, demonstrating that devices aren’t just sitting idle in people’s hands.

Perhaps most telling is what apps people are accessing on a regulars basis. Popular social networking and sharing sites like Facebook report high rates of use for their mobile applications vs. desktop versions.

GfK Marketing and Communications recently reported social sites and activities account for almost one-third (31%) of smartphone online minutes – double the proportion for email, which ranks second at 16%.

“Reading in-the-moment status updates and posting short comments, replies and likes are activities tailor-made for smartphones,” said Robert DeFelice, Vice President on GfK’s Media team, in a news release. “Apps encourage a targeted, deliberate approach to online time that consumers may not even clearly associate with ‘the Internet’. On a PC, by contrast, people open browsers to access social media, email, and a variety of other sites; but their interest in going beyond a familiar repertoire of activities, even on the PC, seems to be dwindling.”

The blending of activities is also driving adoption and unique uses.

“Second screen engagement and in-event social sharing has really taken-off,” said Josh Jordan, Chief Strategy Officer for Make Me Social. His firm works with brands and personalities in creating and blending unique social experiences, both online and offline. “We’ve seen the power that mobile sharing can have in driving behavior and influencing consumer behavior. It puts content in context, and getting HyperLocal is a holy grail for engagement.”