By the year 2013, 43% of global mobile internet users (607.5 million people worldwide) will be accessing social networks from their mobile devices, according to a new report from eMarketer, which characterizes mobile and social as still-emerging channels that are each helping drive the adoption of the other.

In the US, mobile social networkers will total 56.2 million by 2013, and will account for nearly half (45%) of the mobile internet user population, eMarketer said.

The report, “Mobile Social Networks: Marketing by Location Shows Potential“ also revealed that social networking is one of the primary ways mobile users communicate with each other, and is one of the most significant drivers of internet usage on mobile devices.

607.5 million mobile internet users world wide are expected to access social networks from their devices by 2013 according to a new report “Mobile Social networks: Marketing by Location Shows Potential“ from eMarketer. In the US, that percentage is expected to be slightly higher (45%) and represent 56.2 million individuals.

Top Social Networks = Top Mobile Social Networks

Not surprisingly, the report found that the top destinations for mobile social networkers are the same for computer users – underscoring the fact that there is no online-vs.-offline, computer-vs.-mobile distinctions, we have one world with multiple means of communication based on what is most convenient at the time.

With social networking becoming so much intertwined with internet usage, and assuming that the mobile internet users form the more tech-savvy among internet users, I would have expected a very high number of mobile internet users to be using the medium to connect to social networks. But that is seemingly not the case. Here are the projected number of mobile social networkers in the near future and the percent of mobile internet subscribers (worldwide) it constitutes

2008 : 76 million (19%)
2009 : 141.4 million (28%)
2010 : 223.4 million (34%)
2011 : 318.3 million (37%)
2012 : 454 million (40%)
2013 : 607.5 million (43%)
2014 : 760.1 million (45%)

The number of subscribers accessing social networking sites via mobile device will grow to 607.5 million worldwide by 2013, representing 43 percent of global mobile web users, according to a new forecast issued by eMarketer. Mobile social networkers will grow to 56.2 million in the U.S. by 2013--about 45 percent of the nation's mobile web user segment. eMarketer anticipates mobile social networking will enjoy 46.8 percent CAGR between 2008 and 2014, increasing from 76 million worldwide users to 760.1 million during that seven-year stretch--by 2014, 13.3 percent of all global mobile subscribers will access social media sites.

By the year 2013, 43% of global mobile internet users (607.5 million people worldwide) will be accessing social networks from their mobile devices, according to a new report from eMarketer, which characterizes mobile and social as still-emerging channels that are each helping drive the adoption of the other.

In the US, mobile social networkers will total 56.2 million by 2013, and will account for nearly half (45%) of the mobile internet user population, eMarketer said.

The report, “Mobile Social networks: Marketing by Location Shows Potential“ also revealed that social networking is one of the primary ways mobile users communicate with each other, and is one of the most significant drivers of internet usage on mobile devices.

In her keynote on Internet Trends (PDF), Mary Meeker forecast that next generation social networking mobile platforms will drive unprecedented change in communications and commerce. The current growth of mobile social networking seems to support her thesis.

* The second-most popular Web activity for mobile users to engage in on a daily basis is accessing a "social networking site or blog." Last January saw 1.8-million do this, with a monumental, 427-percent increase to 9.3-million people in January 2009. (source)
* Four of the top ten domains accessed via mobile devices are social networking sites. (source)
* In September 2009, there was a one-year increase of 179% in subscribers accessing social networking sites from their mobile devices while those same sites only saw a 10% increase on the PC versions of the sites. (source)
* Mixi’s (Japan’s leading social network) mobile monthly page views are three times desktop page views. (source)

Global market research firm Synovate today released data from its new global mobile phones survey, revealing three quarters of mobile phone owners across 11 markets never leave home without their phone, over a third 'cannot live without it' and 67% regularly use the alarm clock feature.

One in four would find it harder to replace a mobile phone than a wallet or purse.

17% of Brits and 15% of Americans now social network via mobile.

One in five across 11 markets set up a first date via text and 15% flirt with someone other than their partner by text.

Synovate's global head of media, Steve Garton, said these small-but-powerful devices are so ubiquitous that by last year, more human beings owned one than did not.

The company, which is often tight-lipped about its numbers, revealed a bit more about its user engagement today at the Nokia World conference in Stuttgart, Germany.

About half of its 250 million monthly users worldwide log in every day. About a quarter, or 65 million, used the site from mobile devices in August, according to Henri Moissinac, director of Facebook Mobile. That’s more than three times what it was in December, when 20 million users were using Facebook through apps and the company’s mobile web page. The U.S., U.K., Canada and Indonesia have the most active users.

Those could be nice, sticky numbers for advertisers, who are looking to see traffic and attentiveness if they’re going to run large brand campaigns on the site. Intensive mobile usage and sharing would also be a plus, giving Facebook the edge if it wants to deliver location or time-sensitive ads based on people’s habits.

Location-based mobile social networking services continue to expand into new markets, as illustrated today by industry player GyPSii’s announcement that its technology would now be pre-packaged with the latest generation handsets from Chinese manufacturer Ramar. Market research firm ABI Research (ABI) has revealed the results of its prospective investigation in the field, estimating that the revenue it generates will reach $3.3 billion by 2013.

The consumer location-based services (LBS) market has steadily evolved over the past few years, always promising significant revenue generation, but never quite delivering the critical mass of subscribers that werNow, a number of factors - including the development of third-party location databases and technologies - are poised to finally drive real LBS market growth on mobile phones.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.wireless.frost.com/), North America Consumer Location-based Services (LBS) Market - The Wireless Carrier Opportunity, estimates that carrier-generated consumer LBS revenues totaled over $480 million in 2008 and projects this figure to surpass $3.0 billion in 2013.