Reaching Your Audience in the Digital Age : Key Research Trends to Watch Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism September 6, 2012 Aaron Smith Research Associate Pew 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 = 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 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 EraMobile/Social Era Connection type Stationary (desktop computer) Portable (laptop, tablet or smartphone) Flow of information Mainly one way Built for sharing, reviewing, & participating Info Consumption Discrete, task-oriented activity Continuous, 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 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, 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 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 information59% Send or read 59 Use an online social networking site48 Get news45 Go online just for fun or to pass the time44 Look for info on a hobby or interest35 Check the weather34 Look online for news or information about politics28 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 Vimeo28

Young adults lead the way on social network use, but older users are gaining ground Since 2009, use by 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

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 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 community Tag 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 Curator Node in a Network Community Builder Lifesaver Tour 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 Smith Research Associate Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project THANK YOU!! All data available at: pewinternet.org