Study: Location-tagging growing in importance for people

Kristina: Tell me about this report?

David Staas, Interim CEO, JiWire: JiWire surveyed about 400 consumers to discover the motivations behind location-based photo sharing. The research showed that 72% prefer their mobile device as opposed to their camera for snapping photos. The convenience of photo-sharing with location is easier than ever on mobile devices (smartphones and tablets). For example, an interesting stat is that men are more likely than women to location-tag their pictures in attempt to connect with those around them, while women are more likely to location-tag their photos when sharing photos of travel or experiences with their family and friends.

Kristina: How can brands use this type of information?

David: Advertisers can use this trend to understand their audience in a deeper way, while they are on-the-go. With the increase in location-tagging, it gives context to the advertisers who can then cater to their on-the-go audience. The main idea is to target the on-the-go consumer with not only the right message but also in the right location. This interaction between consumer and brand creates better engagement for both parties–users can share their experiences with friends and advertisers can reach their audiences appropriately.

Kristina: What trends are you seeing in mobile currently?

David: With JiWire’s quarterly Insights report that was released in April (for Q1 2012), trends included:

• 70% of C-level executives also report using location-based apps daily (56%) or weekly (14%)
• More than half of business people use apps on a daily basis regardless of position or company size
• When traveling for business, the top three most-used app categories are travel, weather, and social networking

Because of these trends, JiWire dug a little deeper into data surrounding location-based photo services, and discovered that 83% of people take pictures while on-the-go. JiWire’s Q2 Insights Report will be released in July.