reaching your audience in the digital age : key research trends to watch florida governor’s...
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Reaching Your Audience Reaching Your Audience in the Digital Age : in the Digital Age :
Key Research Trends to WatchKey Research Trends to Watch
Florida Governor’s Conference on TourismFlorida Governor’s Conference on TourismSeptember 6, 2012September 6, 2012
Aaron SmithAaron SmithResearch AssociateResearch AssociatePew Internet ProjectPew Internet Project
• Part of the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan “fact tank” based in Washington, DC
• PRC’s mission is to provide high quality, objective data to thought leaders and policymakers
• Data for this talk is from nationally representative telephone surveys of U.S. adults (on landlines and cell phones, incl. Spanish)
• Presentation slides and all data are available at pewinternet.org
Tourism & the 3 Technology “Revolutions”
Computers, internet and broadband
Smartphones and mobile computing
Social Media
*
The Internet/Broadband Revolution
85% of American adults (and 95% of teens) are now internet users
Internet use by age group
% of American adults age 18+ who use the internet (any device/location)
= 94% for all 18-49
= 2.6x increase
66% of Americans are home broadband users
% of American adults age 18+ who have a high-speed broadband connection at home
Roughly 1 in 6 adults do not use the internet, and 1 in 3 adults are not part of the broadband revolution
Internet and broadband adoption are highest among:
The financially secure and (especially) financially well-off
Those under the age of 65
The well-educated (some college, college grads)
Parents w/ children living at home
Whites and English-proficient Asian Americans and Latinos
Urban and suburban residents
Of course, not everyone has joined the internet/broadband revolution
• Greater overall engagement in online activities
• Search becomes the norm (92% of online adults)
• Multimedia meets the masses:
Watch online video (71%)
Post photos online (46%)
• Content creation and e-commerce take off:
Buy a product (71%)
Share something you created online (30%)
Blogging (14%)
“The Broadband Difference”
Widespread access totally changes how we learn about businesses (even ones in our
backyard)The sources people rely on the most for
information about local businesses:Of those who cite the internet as a major source of info…
•About 2/3 say they turn to search engines
•About 1/3 turn to other online sources (such as topical or specialty sites)
•This group skews towards 18-39 year olds, college grads, mobile news consumers, recent transplants & parents
Print sources are particularly relevant to older adults (esp. those 65 and older)
8 in 10 adult internet users go online to research a product or service
they’re thinking of buying
2/3 make air/hotel/car reservations online (2x increase vs. March
2000)
Half have taken a virtual tour of a location online
1/3 have rated/reviewed a product, service or person
online
Other key trends
One downside to the internet/broadband revolution: information overload
7/10 adults are “overwhelmed by the amount of news and information available today”, and 1 in 5 are overwhelmed by the number of products (and info about
those products) available to buy (still, ¾ like having lots of choices)
Solutions to info overload: customization/personalization, reliance on friends and social networks, direct access to relevant info (apps, etc)
Summary: Impact of Internet/Broadband Revolution
Most (not all) are along for the ride
Internet and broadband use widespread
Usage especially high among a few key grps
“E-travel” commonplace
Vast majority of travelers now conducting pre-trip research and booking travel online
Info seeking
Heavy reliance on search as a starting point
Challenges with info overload
The Mobile Computing Revolution
Comparing the Broadband and Mobile Revolutions
Internet/Broadband Era Mobile/Social Era
Connection typeStationary (desktop
computer)Portable (laptop,
tablet or smartphone)
Flow of information
Mainly one wayBuilt for sharing,
reviewing, & participating
Info ConsumptionDiscrete, task-oriented
activityContinuous, always-
on activity
Device ownership tells the story of the mobile revolution
% of American adults age 18+ who own each device
Now more laptops than desktops
Now more smartphones than “regular” cell phones
Tablet ownership up 6x in just two years
Around 1/3 of the country has given up their landline phones entirely (this is a huge deal for my line
of work)
Cell owners are doing more and more with their phones…
% of adult cell owners who use their phones to…
…as smartphones become more and more widespread
• 17% of all cell owners go online mostly using their cell phone, instead of a desktop or laptop computer
• For many in the under-30 crowd, smartphones are an essential purchase—regardless of income level
• Mobile devices alter the racial/ethnic “digital divide” story
• Mobile users do more online, spend more time with content, share more with others
Smartphone owners use their phones for a range of (complex/sensitive/advanced)
activities% of smartphone owners who use their phones to…
Apps provide direct connections to information % of app downloaders who have downloaded each type of app…
App use is particularly prominent among 18-29 year olds (65% of cell owners)
Most app users turn regularly to just a small handful of apps…
…but tourism-related activities (trip planning, exploration of physical location,reservations, reviews) are well suited to the apps world
Apps can provide direct pathways to discovery and exploration of physical spaces
Tourism-specific examples of mobile devices and exploration of physical space/location
% of all adults who have used a handheld device (phone/e-reader/tablet) to…
74% of smartphone owners use their phone to get directions, recommendations or other info based on their present location, and 21% use their phone to get coupons
or deals to use at local businesses
• 41% of cell owners have used their phone recently to coordinate a gathering or get-together
• 30% have used their phone recently to decide whether or not to visit a particular business, such as a restaurant
• 20% have recently used their phone to visit a website that was mentioned on television (overall, half are “connected viewers”)
Key words of the ubiquitous mobility era: just-in-time and spontaneous
% of cell owners in each age group who have performed these real-time activities in the previous 30 days
Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Mobile Survey, March 15-April 3, 2012.
Age comparisons: just-in-time info
Summary: Impact of Mobile Revolution
Just in time information
Where can I get a deal?
What’s something fun to do here?
“Networked Info” packed into the physical travel experience
Apps, QR codes, real-time deals
Announcement and validation
Sharing travel successes (or failures) in real time
“Check out this awesome place I found!”
The Social Media “Revolution”
2/3 of online adults use social networking sites, and nearly half do so on a typical day
% of adult internet users who use social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn or Google+
Only search and email are more popular than social networking on a “typical day” basis
% of adult internet users who do the following on a typical day
Use a search engine to find information 59%
Send or read e-mail 59
Use an online social networking site 48
Get news 45
Go online just for fun or to pass the time 44
Look for info on a hobby or interest 35
Check the weather 34
Look online for news or information about politics 28
Look for information online about a service or product you are thinking of buying
28
Watch a video on a video-sharing site like YouTube or Vimeo 28
Young adults lead the way on social network use, but older users are gaining ground
80%
92%
73%
57%
38%
0
20
40
60
80
100
Teens 12-17
Adults 18-29
Adults 30-49
Adults 50-64
Adults 65+
% of internet users in each age group who use SNS
Since 2009, use by 50-64 year olds has doubled; use by
those 65+ has grown three-fold (13% to 38%); women
bigger users than men
Teen Data July 2011 Adult Data August 2012
Teen Data July 2011 Adult Data August 2012
Twitter is not as popular as other sites, but is growing steadily
16% of online adults now use Twitter, up from 8% in late 2010
% internet users in each group who use Twitter…
Main Reasons American Adults Use SNS
Stay in touch with current friends (67%)
Stay in touch with family (64%)
Reconnect with old friends (50%)
Connect with people with shared interests or hobbies (14%)
Make new friends (9%)
Follow celebrities, athletes or politicians (5%)
Find romantic partners (3%)
Social networks give rise to “News Participators”
As of Jan 2010, 37% of internet users contributed to, commented on, or
disseminated news content via SNS
71% got news/info through email or SNS posts
As of Jan 2011, 41% of adults were “local news participators”
Share links to local news stories/videos
Comment on local news stories/blogs
Post info about their community on SNS
Contribute to online discussions about their communityTag or categories local content
Social networks allow for personal connections with public figures and entities…
% of SNS/Twitter users who follow…
…and those personal connections can help you find and engage with your “Superfans”
44% of all adults have attended a live music, dance or theater performance in the last 12 months; it’s 77% for people who follow a music/dance/theatrical group or venue on a social
networking site
35% of all adults have visited a museum in the last 12 months; it’s 82% for people who follow a museum on a social networking
site
35% of all adults have attended an arts, craft or music festival in the last 12 months; it’s 55% for people who follow individual artists, musicians or performers on a social networking site
29% of all adults have visited an art gallery, show or exhibit in the last 12 months; it’s 82% for people who follow an art gallery
or other visual organization on a social networking site
Summary: Impact of Social Media Revolution
For users/consumers
Cutting through the clutter by getting advice from “people like me” (note: just one element of many in decision process)
Helping others with recommendations
Announcement/validation, part II
For vendors/producers
Forge direct connections with current & potential fans
Variety and scale is a huge challenge—choose where to actively engage, where to lurk, where to ignore
Current Impacts and Future Trends
The New Reality: consumer expectations for information
Information is free
Information is “at my fingertips”
Information is available whenever and wherever I want or need it
Information is available from multiple sources
Information is all around me
Information is Woven Into Our Lives
Mobile is the needle, Social Networks are the thread
Social Networks…
Surround us with information through our
many connections
Bring us information from multiple, varied
sources
Provide instant feedback, meaning and context
Allow us to shape and create information
ourselves and amplify others’ messages
Mobile…
Moves information with us
Makes information accessible ANYTIME
and ANYWHERE
Puts information at our fingertips
Magnifies the demand for timely information
Makes information location-sensitive
Next Generation “Info Weaving”: Augmented Reality
People today have access to more info than at any time in history. What they need is…
Trusted experts and filters to help them find, identify and utilize the best
and most accurate information
Someone to show them how/why information relates to them and is relevant to them
Information purveyors can…
Let people customize info to meet their own needs
Provide people with direct access to the information that is most important to them
Be a one-stop shop by aggregating info, providing links to related material, and
recommending other sources
Participate in online social networks and make information easy to share
You can be a…Filter
CuratorNode in a NetworkCommunity Builder
LifesaverTour Guide
What does all of this mean for YOU?
Information Purveyors Can…
Create networks/communities around their info
Facilitate connections between people with shared interests
Get, listen to, and respond to feedback
Identify and meet needs by tuning in to the online conversation
Provide timely information when and where people need it most
Make their information portable
Operate in a 24/7 world, be constantly connected
Connect their information to real-world places
Create opportunities for information immersion and augmented realities
Aaron SmithResearch Associate
Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project
Twitter: @pewinternet
THANK YOU!!All data available at: pewinternet.org