Mobile social networking revs to $412M by 2012

Citing growing mobile operator support for social networking services, a new forecast issued by consulting firm Frost & Sullivan says revenue from U.S. on-deck mobile social networking services will reach $412 million in 2012. Frost & Sullivan credits the surge to three converging trends: The popularity of Internet social networking services, increasing mobile web penetration and the emergence of mobile advertising. The firm adds the challenge at hand is creating dedicated and effective mobile advertising models that deliver targeted ads to the mobile social community, an evolution requiring close cooperation between ad solution providers, mobile social networking solution providers and mobile operators as well as subscriber willingness to share their personal data. Frost & Sullivan contends mobile ads should be immersive, arguing that displaying banner ads within mobile social networking sessions is insufficient.

"While the extension of popular online social networking communities onto mobile phones is a major growth driver, it is unreasonable to expect the same level of functionality as is offered through the PC," said Frost & Sullivan senior analyst Vikrant Gandhi in a prepared statement. "Mobile social networking services clearly need to be targeted toward mass-market phones in order to gain traction."

For more on the Frost & Sullivan forecast:
- read this release [1]

Related articles:
Will social networking [2] and UGC live up to projections?
Will mobility revolutionize social networking [3]?