The document summarizes key research trends from Pew Internet Project regarding how people use the internet, smartphones, and social media. It finds that internet and broadband access is now widespread, with people conducting extensive online research and travel planning. Mobile device ownership is also high, with people using apps and location-based services for real-time information. Social media use continues to grow rapidly, especially among younger adults, with many people participating in the sharing and discussion of news.

1. Reaching Your Audience
in the Digital Age :
Key Research Trends to Watch
Aaron Smith
Research Associate
Pew Internet Project
Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism
September 6, 2012

2. • 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

3. Tourism & the 3 Technology “Revolutions”
Computers, Smartphones
internet and and mobile Social Media
broadband computing
*

4. The Internet/Broadband
Revolution

5. 85% of American adults (and 95% of teens) are now internet
users

6. Internet use by age group
% of American adults age 18+ who use the
internet (any device/location)
100%
97%
= 94% for all 18-49
90% 91%
80% 78%
77%
70% 74%
60%
53% = 2.6x increase
50% 54%
40%
30%
20% 20%
10%
0%
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
18-29 30-49 50-64 65+

7. 66% of Americans are home broadband users
% of American adults age 18+ who have a
high-speed broadband connection at home
80%
63% 66%
70% 66%
55% 62%
42%
47%
33%
60%
24%
16%
50% 11%
6%
3%
40%
41%
38%
34% 37%
30%
30%
28%
20% 23%
15%
10%
10%
7% 5%
0% 3% 3%
June April March March April March March March April April May Aug April
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Dial-up Broadband

8. Of course, not everyone has joined the
internet/broadband revolution
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

9. “The Broadband Difference”
• 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%)

10. Widespread access totally changes how we learn about
businesses (even ones in our backyard)
The sources people rely on the most for Of those who cite the internet as a
information about local businesses: major source of info…
51% • About 2/3 say they turn to
The internet
47% search engines
• About 1/3 turn to other online
31%
Newspapers sources (such as topical or
30%
specialty sites)
Word of mouth
23% • This group skews towards 18-
22% 39 year olds, college grads,
mobile news consumers,
8% recent transplants & parents
Local TV or radio
13%
Print sources are particularly
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% relevant to older adults (esp. those
Restaurants, bars and clubs Other local businesses 65 and older)

11. Other key trends
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

12. 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)

13. 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

14. The Mobile Computing
Revolution

15. Comparing the Broadband and Mobile Revolutions
Internet/Broadband Era Mobile/Social Era
Stationary (desktop Portable (laptop,
Connection type
computer) tablet or smartphone)
Built for sharing,
Flow of
Mainly one way reviewing, &
information
participating
Discrete, task-oriented Continuous, always-
Info Consumption
activity on activity

16. Device ownership tells the story of the mobile revolution
% of American adults age 18+ who own each device
100%
88%
Now more laptops
80% than desktops
73%
68% 61%
60%
58%
46%
40% Now more
35% smartphones than
30% “regular” cell phones
20%
18%
Tablet ownership up 6x
2% in just two years
3%
0%
April 2006 Dec 2007 April 2008 April 2009 May 2010 May 2011 April 2012
Cell phone (general) Desktop Laptop Smartphone E-reader Tablet

17. Around 1/3 of the country has given up their landline
phones entirely (this is a huge deal for my line of work)

18. Cell owners are doing more and more with their phones…
% of adult cell owners who use their phones to…
1
82%
79%
0.8
73% 73%
65%
0.6
53%
44% 44% 44% 43%
38%
0.4 34%
29% 31%
27%
22%
0.2
0
Take pictures Send/receive text Access the internet Send/receive email Record video Download apps
msgs
Sept 2009 May 2011 March 2012

19. …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

20. Smartphone owners use their phones for a range of
(complex/sensitive/advanced) activities
% of smartphone owners who use their phones to…
Check weather reports or forecasts 52% 77%
Use a social networking site 50% 68%
Get turn by turn navigation or directions while driving 15% 65%
Play games 37% 64%
Get news online 36% 64%
Upload photos online 15% 58%
Listen to an online radio or music service 22% 53%
Check bank balance or do online banking 21% 44%
Look for health or medical info 6% 43%
Visit a government website 6% 31%
Use Twitter 10% 16%
Watch movies or TV shows through a paid… 4% 15%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
% do this on "typical day" % ever do this

21. Apps can provide direct pathways to discovery and
exploration of physical spaces
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

22. 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…
View or download visual arts content 16%
Watch or download a music, dance or
15%
theater performance
View or download info/images from a
12%
historic site, park or monument
Download or listen to audio tour at a
8%
museum, gallery or historical site
View/download info or images from a
6%
museum
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

23. Key words of the ubiquitous mobility era: just-in-
time and spontaneous
• 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”)

24. Age comparisons: just-in-time info
% of cell owners in each age group who have performed these real-time activities in the previous 30 days
60%
45
Coordinate a gathering 27
23
49%
39
Solve an unexpected problem 26
15
Decide whether or not to visit a 43%
37
business, such as restaurant 18
12 18-29
Look up something to settle an 45%
31
15
argument 4
30-49
33%
29
Look up sports score 14 50-64
5
31%
Get up-to-the minute traffic or public 23 65+
transit info 11
4
21%
21
Get help in an emergency situation 18
16
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Mobile Survey, March 15-April 3, 2012.

25. 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!”

26. The Social Media “Revolution”

27. 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+
80%
65% 66%
61%
60%
46%
48%
43%
40% 38%
29%
27%
20% 16%
8% 13%
9%
0% 2%
2005 2006 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Ever Typical day

28. 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
28
are thinking of buying
Watch a video on a video-sharing site like YouTube or Vimeo 28

29. Young adults lead the way on social network use,
but older users are gaining ground
Since 2009, use by 50-64 year
% of internet users in each age group who use
olds has doubled; use by
SNS
those 65+ has grown three-
fold (13% to 38%); women 100 92%
bigger users than men 80%
80 73%
60 57%
38%
40
20
0
Teens 12- Adults Adults Adults Adults
17 18-29 30-49 50-64 65+
Teen Data July 2011 Adult Data August 2012

30. Twitter is not as popular as other sites, but
is growing steadily
% internet users in each group who use Twitter…
100
16% of online
80
adults now use
60 Twitter, up from
40 32% 8% in late 2010
20 16% 15%
9% 4%
0
Teens Adults Adults Adults Adults
12-17 18-29 30-49 50-64 65+
Teen Data July 2011 Adult Data August 2012

31. 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%)

32. 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 community
Tag or categories local content

33. Social networks allow for personal connections with
public figures and entities…
% of SNS/Twitter users who follow…
Individual artists, musicians or
41%
other performers
Musical, dance or theater
29%
groups/venues
Arts galleries or other visual arts
11%
orgs
Museums 8%

34. …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

35. 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

36. Current Impacts and Future Trends

37. 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

38. Information is Woven Into Our Lives
Mobile is the needle, Social Networks are the thread
Mobile… Social Networks…
Moves information Surround us with
with us information through our
many connections
Makes information
accessible ANYTIME Bring us information
and ANYWHERE from multiple, varied
sources
Puts information at
our fingertips Provide instant feedback,
meaning and context
Magnifies the demand
for timely information Allow us to shape and
create information
Makes information
ourselves and amplify
location-sensitive
others’ messages

39. Next Generation “Info Weaving”: Augmented Reality

40. What does all of this mean for YOU?
People today have access to more info than at any
You can be a… time in history. What they need is…
Filter Trusted experts and filters
Curator to help them find, identify and utilize the best and
most accurate information
Node in a Network
Community Builder Someone to show them how/why information
relates to them and is relevant to them
Lifesaver
Tour Guide 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

41. 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

42. THANK YOU!!
All data available at: pewinternet.org
Aaron Smith
Research Associate
Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project
asmith@pewinternet.org
Twitter:
@pewinternet