Greetings!
Below are the findings from my research on two mobile apps. The research questions were:
- What are they used for?
- Who is the target audience?
- What are the revenue streams for the publishers?
- Can you offer your readers any tips, tricks, or hacks for getting the most out of the app?
Two popular mobile apps are Instagram and Facebook Messenger. Both are owned by Meta (which also owns Facebook and WhatsApp).
Instagram is a social media app from Meta used for posting photos and videos. Users post things from day-to-day activities, art and fashion, to food, travel, and so much more. It also is a large hub for content, from following other users for fashion and art inspiration, to travel ideas, and even following large brands for staying up to date on their newest offerings.
Although people of all ages use Instagram, the main target audience is 18 to 24 years old, closely followed by 25 to 34 years old. As for gender, it is split quite evenly between who uses Instagram more. Males account for 51.8% of worldwide users, while females account for 48.2%. The most common revenue stream for Instagram is sponsored posts. This is when brands pay a user to create content that features their product or service and share it with their followers.
Facebook Messenger (often just referred to as Messenger) is an instant messaging service from Meta. You don’t have to have a Facebook account to use it, so anyone can use it. It can be used with Facebook on a computer, on Messenger.com, or the mobile app on iOS and Android devices.
The main target audience is millennials – people aged 25 to 34 years old. As for gender, 54.6% of Messenger users are females. For revenues streams, Messenger can be used for marketing purposes. A few ways to do this is to have a Messenger chatbot answer customer questions, using Messenger to directly send content to the target audience, and even using ads on Messenger.
As a final thought, I can give a couple tips for Facebook Messenger. One interesting feature you can do is add word effects to words and phrases. When you use this, you can choose an emoji to float up from the bottom of the screen to the top when you send a message. Another interesting feature is you can have a phone or video call from Messenger. This works on both mobile and desktop, and can be quite convenient if you don’t have cell signal, because all you need is an internet connection (like Wi-Fi!)
~Katie
Sources:
https://backlinko.com/most-popular-apps
https://www.rd.com/article/what-is-instagram/
https://blog.hootsuite.com/instagram-demographics/
https://wyomingllcattorney.com/Blog/Navigating-Instagram-As-A-Revenue-Stream
https://www.lifewire.com/facebook-messenger-4103719
https://blog.hootsuite.com/facebook-messenger-stats/
https://blog.hootsuite.com/facebook-messenger-marketing/
https://www.makeuseof.com/how-to-use-word-effects-facebook-messenger/
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/cool-tricks-and-secret-gems-inside-facebook-messenger