The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens For the Department of Business and Innovation, Victoria 28 September 2012 Prepared by Craig Thomler Managing Director Delib Australia Pty Ltd Delib Australia Pty Ltd EMAIL PHONE FAX WEB craig@delib.net.au 0411 780 194 02 6254 4781 www.delib.net Contents Contents THE DIGITAL READINESS OF VICTORIAN CITIZENS 3 OVERVIEW 3 INTERNET USE REGIONAL INTERNET USE INTERNET USE – DISABLED AND OLDER PEOPLE 3 4 5 MOBILE USE 7 DIGITAL TELEVISION AND GAMING DIGITAL TELEVISION DIGITAL GAMING 1 12 12 SOCIAL MEDIA FACEBOOK USE LINKEDIN USE TWITTER USE 14 17 23 24 OTHER ONLINE USE 24 VICTORIAN CITIZEN READINESS TO ENGAGE GOVERNMENT ONLINE WILLINGNESS TO ENGAGE ONLINE CITIZEN VIEWS OF VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT WEBSITES 26 1 1 HOW CONNECTED ARE VICTORIANS RELATIVE TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS? HOW VICTORIA RANKS COMPARED TO OTHER AUSTRALIAN STATE AND TERRITORY JURISDICTIONS 30 31 IN SUMMARY 33 The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 2 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens The digital readiness of Victorian citizens As a foundation piece of background research to the VPS Digital Innovation review, this report investigates the receptiveness of Victorian citizens to digital channels and online engagement with government. The report was undertaken by assessing recent public research and literature on Australian and Victorian use of online, mobile and other digital channels. Overview Australia is one of the most digitally connected nations in the world, with high rates of computer, internet and mobile use across the community. Victoria, as Australia’s second largest state, reflects this level of connectivity and online activity and evidences a high level of interest in active engagement with government online. Internet use According to the ABS, at the end of June 2011 there were 10.9 million Australian internet subscribers (excluding mobile handsets), with households representing 80 per cent of all broadband subscriptions. Within Victorian, figures are reflective of the national average, with the ABS indicating that 79 per cent, approximately 1.684 million households, having a fixed internet connection, consistent with other large states. Households with access to home computers and internet access 2010-111 Access to a computer Internet access at at home (%) home (%) 99 per cent of Victorians have accessed the internet, with 79 per cent of households having an internet connection. No. with home internet access (‘000s) Victoria 82 79 1,684 New South Wales 83 79 2,164 Queensland 83 79 1,347 South Australia 80 76 497 Western Australia 85 81 714 Tasmania 76 70 146 Northern Territory 82 79 51 Australian Capital Territory 91 88 122 National 83 79 6,724 1 8146.0 - Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2010-11 – Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – December 2011 – www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8146.0www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8146.0 The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 3 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens Recent research has suggested that internet access is still growing. Nielsen Online Ratings found in January 2012 that 81 per cent of Australians aged 16 years and above (14.7 million people), and 75 per cent of Australians aged two years and over (16.4 million people), could be classified as active internet users (having used the internet in the past month). 2 Sensis’s 2012 Yellow™ Social Media Report reported in June 2012 that 98 per cent of Australians and 99 per cent of Victorians aged 14 and over had accessed the internet, including (nationally) 100% of people aged 14-39, 99 per cent of those aged 40-64 and 93 per cent of those aged 65+.3 Regional internet use There is significant variation in internet access by geographic location, with a visible metro/regional divide. According to the ABS, 82 per cent of households in capital cities across Australia had internet access compared to 74 per cent of those elsewhere – an average variation of 8 per cent. The variation was significant in Victoria. The ABS reported that while 81 per cent of Melbourne households had home internet access, the rest of the state averaged 72 per cent, falling to 60 per cent in the Mallee region. Victoria has a regional digital divide with 81 per cent of Melbourne households, but only 60 per cent of Mallee households connected to the internet. Households with home internet access by Victorian statistical division 2010-114 % with internet access at home No. (‘000s) with home internet access Melbourne 81 1,247 Loddon 80 54 East Gippsland 80 20 Barwon 76 92 Western District 74 33 Ovens-Murray 72 26 Central Highlands 71 58 Goulburn 71 67 Gippsland 67 55 Wimmera 66 9 Mallee 60 23 Other states and territories also evidenced varying degrees of a regional internet access divide (refer to table on the following page), however Victoria’s maximum divide from Melbourne to Mallee (21 2 The Australian Online Landscape – A.C. Nielsen – March 2012 – www.nielsen.com/au/en/news-insights/reports-downloads/2012/australian-online-consumerlandscape.html 3 Yellow™ Social Media Report – Sensis – June 2012 – http://about.sensis.com.au/News/Media-Releases/?ItemID=1159&count=1 4 8146.0 - Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2010-11 – Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – December 2011 – www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8146.0 The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 4 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens percentage points), was only exceeded by New South Wales (29 points) and South Australia (23 points). Maximum capital/regional home internet access divide by state 2010-115 Maximum % home internet access Minimum % home internet access Divide (max. to min.) % Victoria 81 (Melbourne) 60 (Mallee) 21 New South Wales 84 (Sydney) 55 (Far West) 29 Queensland 81 (Brisbane) 64 (South West) 17 South Australia 79 (Adelaide) 56 (Eyre) 23 Western Australia 83 (Perth) 66 (Upper Great Southern) 17 Tasmania 73 (Greater Hobart) 62 (Southern) 11 Northern Territory 82 (Darwin) 69 (Balance of NT) 13 Australian Capital Territory 88 (Canberra) NA 0 Internet use – disabled and older people ABS data from 2009 indicated that disabled people have lower levels of internet access than other Australians. Disabled Victorians were particularly low users – less likely to use the internet than disabled people elsewhere throughout mainland Australia. Only 50 per cent of Victorians with a disability reported using the internet – ABS 2009 With 16 per cent of Victorians reporting a disability (ABS 2009), this is a sizeable group to consider. Persons with a reported disability, internet use in the previous 12 months–20096 Used the internet at any location (%) Total persons with a reported disability (‘000s) Victoria 50 876 New South Wales 51 1,126 Queensland 56 670 South Australia 54 296 Western Australia 59 314 Tasmania 49 99 Northern Territory 62 23 5 8146.0 - Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2010-11 – Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – December 2011 – www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8146.0 6 8146.0 - Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2010-11 – Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – December 2011 – www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8146.0 The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 5 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens Used the internet at any location (%) Total persons with a reported disability (‘000s) Australian Capital Territory 71 49 National 53 3,451 Older persons Older persons (aged 65 or over) in Australia have also historically reported lower internet access rates. ABS data indicated that older Victorian are less likely to use the internet than older residents of any other state or territory excluding Tasmania. Only 38 per cent of Victorians aged over 65 reported using the internet – ABS 2009 With 17 per cent of Victorians aged 65 or older (ABS 2009), this is also a sizeable group. Older persons (aged 65 or older), internet use in the previous 12 months–20097 Used the internet at any location (%) Total older persons (‘000s) Victoria 38 958 New South Wales 40 1,276 Queensland 45 719 South Australia 42 314 Western Australia 46 345 Tasmania 37 103 Northern Territory 57 17 Australian Capital Territory 61 51 National 41 3,873 There are indications that the use of the internet by older Victorians is growing. COTA’s Older Victorians Online report indicated that the proportion of people aged 65 and over using the internet had almost doubled between 2007 to 2011 from 29.8 per cent to 56.7 per cent 8. No comparative research is available for other states to indicate if this is a fast or slow rate of growth. 7 8146.0 - Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2010-11 – Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – December 2011 – www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8146.0 8 Older Victorians Online – COTA Victoria & Ellis James – March 2012 – www.ellisjones.com.au/health-and-ageing/health-aged-care/older-victorians-onlinesurvey The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 6 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens Mobile use Australians have been rapid adopters of mobile phones, with ACMA reporting as early as mid-2007 that there was already more than one mobile service for every Australian, with 21.26 million mobile phone services in operation at 30 June 2007.9 There have been more active mobile phone accounts in Australia than people since 2007. More recently, Nielsen reported that at the end of 2011, 51 per cent of online Australians aged 16+ owned a smartphone, 18 per cent of households owned a tablet computer and 13 per cent of households used an eReader device.10 This reflects a Google IPSOS Research study in late 2011, Mobile Planet, which reported that 52 per cent of Australians had smartphones, with a significantly larger number of younger people using these devices. 11 Google has predicted that, in Australia, internet searches using mobile devices will overtake searches on 9 ACMA Communications Report 2006-2007 – ACMA – April 2008 – www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_310950 10 The Australian Online Landscape – A.C. Nielsen – March 2012 – www.nielsen.com/au/en/news-insights/reports-downloads/2012/australian-online-consumerlandscape.html 11 The Mobile Planet – Google and IPSOS Research – September 2011 – www.thinkwithgoogle.com/mobileplanet/en/ The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 7 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens desktop devices by 2013.12 The Google IPSOS Research study also indicated that Australians had, on average, 28 apps on their smartphones. 42 per cent of respondents said they expected to use more apps in the future while only 3 per cent expected to use fewer apps. 85 per cent of Australian respondents said they accessed social media on their smartphones, with 55 per cent accessing social media every day. This decreased to 72 per cent for those aged 50+, with only 33 per cent accessing social media daily. By the end of 2011 51 per cent of online Australians aged 16+ had smartphones, 18 per cent of households had tablets and 13 per cent had eReaders. Figures for mobile use were unavailable at state levels, however it is reasonable to expect Victoria to reflect the national average. Therefore it is likely that over two million Victorians now own an internetcapable smartphone. The Australian Department of Finance and Deregulation’s report, Interacting with Government— Australians' use and satisfaction with e-government services—201113 provided an insight into how 12 Smartphones 'to overtake desktops for internet' – June 2011 – www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/smartphones-to-overtake-desktops-for-internet20110602-1fi1y.html 13 Interacting with Government — Australians' use and satisfaction with e-government services – Australian Department of Finance and Deregulation – 2011 – www.finance.gov.au/publications/interacting-with-government-2011/index.html The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 8 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens Victorians use their mobile phones, 79 per cent using SMS, 38 per cent accessing the internet and 33 per cent using apps. Based on the Google ISPSOS Research figure of a 52 per cent penetration rate for smartphones, the type of phones required for internet access and app use, the Department of Finance’s figures suggest that approximately 76 per cent of Victorian smartphone owners access the web and 66 per cent are using apps. By extrapolation, more than 2 million Victorians use smartphones, with 76 per cent using them to access the internet. Mobile phone use —Interacting with Government Report 14 SMS/text messaging via Mobile Use the web via your Mobile phone or similar portable device Use an App on your Mobile phone or similar portable device Use a tablet computer (such as an iPad, Galaxy Tab, or Slate 500) Victoria 79% 38% 33% 11% New South Wales 81% 40% 39% 15% Queensland 81% 36% 36% 9% South Australia 81% 32% 28% 9% Western Australia 83% 34% 33% 10% Tasmania 81% 31% 32% 11% Northern Territory 83% 42% 42% 14% 44% 40% 16% 37% 35% 12% Australian Capital Territory 89% National 81% The Google IPSOS report indicated that 82 per cent of smartphone owners use the internet (refer to the chart on the following page) – slightly higher than figures extrapolated from AGIMO’s report (76 per cent). This was highly age dependent. While 93 per cent of Australian smartphone users aged 18-29 used the internet on their mobile, only 74 per cent of those aged 50+ did. Younger users were the most active internet users, with 55 per cent of 1829 year olds indicating they had multiple internet sessions on their smartphone daily, while only 30 per cent of users aged 50+ did the same. Overall 63 per cent of 18-29 year old Australians indicated they used the internet on their smartphone every day, compared to 59 per cent of 30-49 year olds and only 39 per cent of people aged 50+. 55 per cent of 18-29 year old smartphone users use internet on their phone multiple times a day. Increasing rates of mobile internet use have also been noted by the Victorian Department of Business and Innovation. During the first quarter of 2012, 12 per cent of visitors to the vic.gov.au portal used mobile 14 Interacting with Government — Australians' use and satisfaction with e-government services – Australian Department of Finance and Deregulation – 2011 – www.finance.gov.au/publications/interacting-with-government-2011/index.html The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 9 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens devices to access it. This had increased from 4 per cent during the first quarter of 2011 and 1 per cent in the first quarter of 2010. The Victorian Government has also been active in releasing mobile apps for citizens, with VictoriaOnline listing 40 apps from Victorian state agencies and three from Victorian local governments, alongside 33 apps from the Australian Government15. 15 Mobile Apps – VictoriaOnline – 19 August 2012 – www.vic.gov.au/social-media/mobileapps.html The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 10 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 11 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens Digital television and gaming Digital television Digital television penetration is rising, driven partially by the Commonwealth Government’s Digital Switchover program. This program will see all free-to-air television in Australia move to digitalonly transmission by the end of 2013. By mid-2011 80 per cent of main televisions in homes across Australia were digitally ready. Victoria’s switchover to digital televisions will finish in December 2013. The digital switchover has occurred in regional Victoria, with the Mildura region the first in Australia to switch in June 2010. Gippsland, North Central and South West Victoria followed in May 2011. Melbourne is due to switch by 10 December 2013.16 ACMA reported that by mid-2011, of the 18.7 million working television sets in Australian households, 80 per cent of main televisions, and 62 per cent of all working televisions had been converted to digital. 17 ACMA also reported that 97 per cent of new televisions bought in the year prior to the survey were digital. Digital gaming The Digital Australia 2012 report from Bond University18 found that approximately 92 per cent of Australian households and 95 per cent of households with children had at least one device for playing digital games, being a computer, game console, hand held console, mobile phone or tablet computer (refer to the chart on the next page). While specific information is unavailable for Victoria, it is likely that the state would reflect a similar position. 92 per cent of Australian households have at least one device for playing digital games. 63 per cent have game consoles. In many cases these gaming platforms are internet-enabled, with most modern game consoles and handheld devices capable of accessing websites and social media platforms, as well as supporting individual and team-based online game play with and against other humans. Game delivery systems such as Steam and the Xbox Marketplace are also encouraging greater internet use by facilitating cheap online game purchase with fast playability. With broadband widely accessible in Australia, it has now become faster and more cost-effective for the majority of the game-playing public to legally download commercial PC and console games than to 16 When do I switch rollout map – Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy – June 2012 – www.digitalready.gov.au/when-do-iswitch/Rollout-map.aspx 17 Television 18 Digital Sets in Australian Households 2011 – ACMA – June 2012 – http://engage.acma.gov.au/the-small-screen-hits-the-big-time/ Australia 2012 – Bond University – October 2011 – www.igea.net/2011/10/digital-australia-2012-da12/ The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 12 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens physically visit local games stores. Similarly, the digital delivery of television and movies has become increasingly competitive with free-to-air and PayTV channels, with broadband increasingly capable of delivering streaming high-definition content. As a combination of the growth of digital televisions and digital gaming, televisions are increasingly being redefined as another screen, with an active role, combined with a game console, Digital Video Recorder or native wi-fi or Ethernet connection, as the primary internet connection device in the lounge room. However just as mobile internet users use the internet differently to traditional desktop PC users, rather than viewing traditional websites, the configuration of lounge rooms as a communal space and the slow adoption of wi-fi, mobile or tablet keyboards, means that the primary use of televisions as internet viewing devices has been for viewing short-form videos, movies and interactive social gaming. There has been a secondary focus on social interactions, supported by social networks accessible through console platforms or through the use of smartphones, tablets or laptop PCs as ancillary devices. The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 13 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens Social media The Sensis 2012 Yellow™ Social Media Report found that 62 per cent of Australian internet users had a presence on social networking services, with Victorians being some of the largest adopters, with 70 per cent of Victorian internet users using social networks, compared to 59 per cent of Queenslanders and 58 per cent of New South Welshmen.19 The report also indicated that Victorians who used social networking services use them more frequently than most other states and territories, making Victorians the most digitally socially connected Australians. Social networking site usage – Yellow Social Media report— 201220 Of Internet users 70 per cent of Victorian who use the internet use social media, compared to a national average of 62 per cent. Victorians also use social media more frequently than other Australians. Use social media Do not use social media >5 times a day Every day More than once a week Once a week or less Victoria 70% 30% 12% 31% 17% 14% New South Wales 58% 42% 11% 22% 15% 10% Queensland 59% 41% 9% 25% 11% 20% South Australia 58% 42% 7% 25% 9% 21% Western Australia 63% 37% 9% 29% 11% 14% Tasmania 61% 39% 11% 34% 11% 6% Northern Territory 71% 29% 11% 29% 15% 16% Australian Capital Territory 57% 43% 11% 30% 11% 14% National 62% 38% 10% 26% 13% 12% By social media service, Facebook dominates, with 97 per cent of social network users across Australia (98 per cent in Victoria) reporting they used the service, with an average user spending more than six hours per week on the site. The 2012 report also found that Twitter and LinkedIn had almost doubled their user share compared to the previous year. LinkedIn usage grew from 9 per cent to 16 per cent, Twitter from 8 per cent to 14 per cent. Of Victorian social media users: 98 per cent use Facebook, 19 per cent use Linkedin, 15 per cent use Twitter, 9 per cent use Google+. 19 Yellow™ Social Media Report – Sensis – June 2012 – http://about.sensis.com.au/News/Media-Releases/?ItemID=1159&count=1 20 Yellow™ Social Media Report – Sensis – June 2012 – http://about.sensis.com.au/News/Media-Releases/?ItemID=1159&count=1 The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 14 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens Victorians were above average in the use of all social networking services, although not the highest users of any individual service, as illustrated on the following page. 70 per cent of Victorian social media users read online reviews and blogs. 27 per cent post them. Victorians were more likely than the national average to both post and read online reviews and blogs and led the other large states in their use. Use of social media by social media users – Yellow Social Media report—201221 Of social media users Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Google+ Victoria 98% 19% 15% 9% 27% 70% New South Wales 95% 26% 19% 6% 23% 70% Queensland 97% 7% 10% 8% 20% 64% South Australia 94% 3% 13% 10% 21% 65% Western Australia 97% 6% 5% 4% 20% 67% 100% 5% 2% 15% 42% 69% 98% 6% 9% 10% 26% 72% 100% 8% 25% 16% 16% 78% 97% 16% 14% 8% 24% 68% Tasmania Northern Territory Australian Capital Territory National Online review / blog Post Read To place social media use in perspective, the table on the next page provides a breakdown of social network service use based on internet usage levels amongst the broader population. Victoria remain one of the leading states, with 68 per cent of Victorian internet users on Facebook, 13 per cent on LinkedIn and 10 per cent on Twitter, leading the national average. This reflects the findings of the Australian Department of Finance and Deregulation’s report, Interacting with Government—Australians' use and satisfaction with e-government services—201122, which is based on data approximately 12 months older. The Interacting with Government report found Victorians reflected the national average for use of most digital and mobile channels, per the second table on the next page. For example this report indicated that 47 per cent of Victorians used Facebook and 8% used Twitter. 21 Yellow™ Social Media Report – Sensis – June 2012 – http://about.sensis.com.au/News/Media-Releases/?ItemID=1159&count=1 22 Interacting with Government — Australians' use and satisfaction with e-government services – Australian Department of Finance and Deregulation – 2011 – www.finance.gov.au/publications/interacting-with-government-2011/index.html The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 15 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens Use of social media by citizens – Yellow Social Media report—201223 Of all citizens Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Google+ Online review / blog Post Read Victoria 68% 13% 10% 6% 19% 49% New South Wales 54% 15% 11% 3% 13% 40% Queensland 57% 4% 6% 5% 12% 37% South Australia 53% 2% 7% 6% 12% 37% Western Australia 59% 4% 3% 2% 12% 41% Tasmania 57% 3% 1% 9% 24% 40% Northern Territory 69% 4% 6% 7% 18% 51% Australian Capital Territory 57% 5% 14% 9% 9% 44% National 59% 10% 9% 5% 15% 41% Social media use – Interacting with Government report—201124 Of all citizens Facebook and other social networks Twitter Victoria 47% 8% 5% 28% New South Wales 48% 6% 5% 28% Queensland 49% 4% 6% 26% South Australia 46% 5% 5% 23% Western Australia 46% 6% 5% 25% Tasmania 46% 4% 4% 25% Northern Territory 53% 10% 8% 27% Australian Capital Territory 54% 9% 6% 37% National 59% 9% 5% 27% 23 Blog Maintain own Read others Yellow™ Social Media Report – Sensis – June 2012 – http://about.sensis.com.au/News/Media-Releases/?ItemID=1159&count=1 24 Interacting with Government — Australians' use and satisfaction with e-government services – Australian Department of Finance and Deregulation – 2011 – www.finance.gov.au/publications/interacting-with-government-2011/index.html The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 16 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens Facebook use The Yellow™ Social Media Report found that Victorians used Facebook an average of 21.3 times per week, ahead of the national average of 20.6 uses and more frequently than any other state or territory other than Queensland. 25 An average Victorian The report also found that Victorians had the largest average number of Facebook friends at 253. This was significantly larger than the average friends for residents of other large states or the national average (227). Facebook user accesses Facebook 21.3 times/wk, and 1,107.6 times/year. Facebook use frequency and friending – Yellow Social Media report—201226 Facebook uses/week Facebook uses/year Average friends Victoria 21.3 1,107.6 253 New South Wales 20.7 1,076.4 218 Queensland 24.0 1,248.0 216 South Australia 16.5 858.0 251 Western Australia 16.7 868.4 190 Tasmania 18.4 956.8 251 Northern Territory 16.5 858.0 190 Australian Capital Territory 14.4 748.8 191 National 20.6 1,071.2 227 Facebook’s Ad Creator tool was used to build a view of Victoria’s active Facebook users. These figures contain discrepancies due to optional fields and Facebook’s aggregation approach. Based on Facebook’s tool, on 22 June 2012 there were 2,674,740 active Victorian users. This is approximately 24 per cent of the active Facebook users for Australia (11,066,420). Based on ABS data, the extrapolated June 2012 Victorian population aged 13 or over (Facebook’s official minimum age) was 4,562,000. The active Facebook users represent 58.6 per cent of these Victorians. The average Victorian Facebook user has more Facebook friends than anyone else in Australia. Active female Victorian users (52 per cent) outnumbered males (46 per cent), with another 2 per cent of users choosing to not reveal their gender. This reflected the national statistics of 53 per cent female and 45 per cent male, with 2 per cent undefined. 25 Yellow™ Social Media Report – Sensis – June 2012 – http://about.sensis.com.au/News/Media-Releases/?ItemID=1159&count=1 26 Yellow™ Social Media Report – Sensis – June 2012 – http://about.sensis.com.au/News/Media-Releases/?ItemID=1159&count=1 The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 17 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens The largest age groups for Victorian Facebook users were the 26-35 (25.4 per cent) and 19-25 (23.9 per cent) year olds. Those aged 13-18 (14.2 per cent) were the fourth largest, just behind 36-45 year olds and the smallest age group were Victorians aged 56+ at 9 per cent. The largest age group for Victorian Facebook users are the 26-35 year olds. Facebook use in Victoria by age, numbers – Facebook – 22 June 201227 Age Males Females N/A All 13-18 185,760 193,620 540 379,920 19-25 317,540 316,760 6,040 640,340 26-35 320,120 343,300 14,880 678,300 36-45 188,580 243,160 12,000 443,740 46-55 116,380 162,550 8,510 287,440 56+ 105,660 128,740 9,860 244,260 N/A 280 -90 550 740 1,234,320 1,388,040 52,380 2,674,740 All Facebook use in Victoria by age, percentage – Facebook – 22 June 201228 Age Males Females N/A All 13-18 6.94% 7.24% 0.02% 14.20% 19-25 11.87% 11.84% 0.23% 23.94% 26-35 11.97% 12.83% 0.56% 25.36% 36-45 7.05% 9.09% 0.45% 16.59% 46-55 4.35% 6.08% 0.32% 10.75% 56+ 3.95% 4.81% 0.37% 9.13% N/A 0.01% 0.00% 0.02% 0.03% All 46.15% 51.89% 1.96% 100.00% Per the table on the next page, Facebook Ad Creator indicated there were significantly more active Victorian Facebook users aged 19-25 than the entire Victorian population for this cohort extrapolated from ABS data. This could represent a combination of people lying about their age in Facebook and incorrect estimates in Facebook’s real-time user statistics. 27 Facebook Ad Manager – Facebook – 22 June 2012 – www.facebook.com/ads/manage/adscreator/ 28 Facebook Ad Manager – Facebook – 22 June 2012 – www.facebook.com/ads/manage/adscreator/ The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 18 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 19 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens This discrepancy not withstanding, the data reflects extremely high usage of Facebook by younger demographics, with declining usage in older groups. Facebook use as a percentage of Victorian population – Facebook/ABS – 22 June 201229 Age Males Females All 13-18 87% 96% 92% 19-25 118% 121% 121% 26-35 84% 88% 88% 36-45 49% 60% 56% 46-55 32% 43% 39% 56+ 17% 18% 18% All 55% 59% 59% Geographically, 71 per cent of Victoria’s active Facebook users lived in Melbourne and regional centres contained much lower percentage of active users. This reflects the regional divide in internet access levels. 71 per cent of Victoria’s active Facebook users live in greater Melbourne. Facebook use by reported location – Facebook – 22 June 201230 Males Females N/A All 1,234,320 1,388,040 52,380 2,674,740 883,160 976,840 37,840 1,897,840 Geelong 21,380 25,220 440 47,040 Ballarat 13,100 16,020 380 29,500 Bendigo 12,660 16,080 280 29,020 304,020 353,880 13,440 671,340 5,014,740 5,833,020 218,660 11,066,420 Entire Victoria Melbourne Rest of Victoria Australia The demographics also suggested a difference between Melbourne and non-Melbourne Facebook users across Victoria in their gender and age characteristics. Melbourne had a smaller gender divide (refer to the chart on the next page), with five percentage points separating females at 51.5 per cent and males at 46.5 per cent. Across the rest of the state this gender gap expanded to almost eight percentage points, with females dominating at 53 per cent compared to 45 per cent being male. 29 Facebook Ad Manager – Facebook – 22 June 2012 – www.facebook.com/ads/manage/adscreator/ 30 Facebook Ad Manager – Facebook – 22 June 2012 – www.facebook.com/ads/manage/adscreator/ The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 20 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens Age demographics also varied. While Melbourne users were more likely to be aged 19-45, elsewhere in Victoria users were significantly more likely to be aged 13-18 or 46+. This may reflect the comparative age demographics of Melbourne, the level of internet access or the length of time that broadband has been available in different regions of the state. Regional Victorian users were more likely than Melbourne users to be female and either 18 or younger or 46 and older. It may also suggest that, due to remoteness, older people in regional areas of Victoria are more likely to use Facebook as a tool to connect to their relatives, whereas physical proximity reduces this need in Melbourne. The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 21 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens This becomes more interesting when looking at a comparison between Facebook usage by age in Melbourne, the three largest regional centres in Victoria, Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo, and the rest of the state. Both Ballarat and Bendigo demonstrate a pattern of consistently younger usage, with greater percentages for both the 13-18 and 19-25 age groups and a lower share of 26-35 year olds. Facebook users in regional centres tended to be younger than Melbourne or users elsewhere in Victoria. This reflects global patterns in how Facebook growth in regional areas has lagged metropolitan areas. In the future these regions may see significant growth in the 26-35 and 46-55 age cohorts relative to Melbourne. ‘Elsewhere in Victoria’ – which represents more remote and smaller towns in the state – has a significantly higher share of older users. This may represent the age demographics of these regions. The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 22 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens LinkedIn use It is more difficult to pinpoint the level of LinkedIn use due to limitations in the site’s statistical tools, however LinkedIn claimed over three million Australian profiles in March 2012, from one million users in March 2010.31 LinkedIn claims over three million Australian users. 657,953 Victorian accounts were identified, being 22 per cent of Australian accounts. Within Victoria it was possible to identify 657,953 LinkedIn users by conducting an analysis of users indicating Melbourne, Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong or Victoria as their location on 22 June 2012. This represents 16% of Victorians aged 20 or older. At 22 per cent of the three million reported Australian LinkedIn users, this is a significant level of use by Victorians. Randstad’s 2012 World of Work report analysed views of LinkedIn by employers in Australia’s largest states,32 finding that Victorian employers were less likely to consider LinkedIn important in talent attraction. Victorian employers (at 54 per cent) lagged those from New South Wales (at 67 per cent) and Queensland (at 66 per cent) in believing social media should be part of any organisation’s talent attraction strategy. Use of social media as part of a talent attraction strategy – Randstadt World of Work report –March 201233 Use currently Expect to use in future All organisations should use Victoria 25% 36% 54% New South Wales 29% 30% 67% Queensland 31% 27% 66% South Australia 17% 34% 67% National 26% 32% 65% Think is important as part of a talent attraction strategy – Randstadt World of Work report – March 201234 LinkedIn Facebook Twitter MySpace Victoria 59% 34% 19% 18% New South Wales 64% 35% 23% 17% Queensland 61% 37% 28% 22% South Australia 56% 35% 24% 22% National 60% 35% 24% 20% 31 LinkedIn Surpasses 3 Million Members in Australia, http://au.press.linkedin.com/node/1159, LinkedIn, 14 March 2012 32 Randstad World of Work report – Randstad – March 2012 – www.randstad.com.au/about-randstad/world-of-work 33 Randstad World of Work report – Randstad – March 2012 – www.randstad.com.au/about-randstad/world-of-work 34 Randstad World of Work report – Randstad – March 2012 – www.randstad.com.au/about-randstad/world-of-work The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 23 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens Twitter use Sourcing current Twitter users for Australia is difficult as Twitter does not officially release data by country. However Social Media News, through an external research process, reported that in July 2012 there were 2.1 million Australian Twitter users, based on monthly unique Australian visitors to the Twitter site.35 Using an estimation process (at right) using two separate approaches, it appears there are approximately 504,000 and 528,000 active Twitter users in Victoria. Datafication, a joint project by The Works and the University of Technology Sydney, reported in November 2011 that there were an average of 5,000 tweets per minute from Australia, 30 per cent originating from Sydney and 28 per cent from Melbourne. 36 Datafication also reported that, per capita, Hobart, Sydney and Melbourne were the most prolific Tweeters. Based on the 28 per cent figure, Melbourne accounts for 1,400 tweets per minute – or 2 million tweets per day. With approximately 500,000 active Twitter users in Victoria, this equates to about four tweets per day per user – or the equivalent of 1,460 tweets per user per year. Estimation of Victorian Twitter users (using two separate methods) Population share estimate: Based on Victoria’s population as a proportion of the Australian population, Victoria should account for approximately 24 per cent of Australia’s 2.1 million Twitter users, or 504,000 users. Statistical share estimate: The 2012 Yellow™ Social Media Report reported that 70 per cent of Victorian internet users used social media and that 14 per cent of Australian social media users use Twitter. Extrapolating a June 2012 Victorian population of 5.44 million (ABS Census), there are an estimated 5.39 million Victorian internet users (98 per cent of the population), 3.77 million social media users (70 per cent of internet users) and 528,000 Twitter users (14 per cent of social media users). Other online use Victorians are active users of many other digital services, outlined in the table on the next page. The Interacting with Government report – 201137 stated that 42 per cent of Victorian internet users accessed news feeds (RSS), 22 per cent interacted in online forums, 19 per cent listened to podcasts and 6 per cent used social bookmarking sites. Blogs were read by 28 per cent of Victorians and 5 per cent wrote their own, while 29 per cent read wikis and 4 per cent contributed to them – indicating a significant, but relatively consistent divide between consumption and creation of content. 35 Social Media Statistics Australia – July 2012 - Social Media News – 1 August 2012 – www.socialmedianews.com.au/social-media-statistics-australia-july-2012/, 36 Datafication, – The Works and University of Technology Sydney – November 2011 – http://datafication.com.au/, 37 Interacting with Government — Australians' use and satisfaction with e-government services – Australian Department of Finance and Deregulation – 2011 – www.finance.gov.au/publications/interacting-with-government-2011/index.html The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 24 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens Use of online, social media and mobile services – Interacting with Government report—201138 VIC NSW Online services Email Read news feeds (RSS) Instant messaging Use Skype, VOIP (Voice Over IP) or Internet Phone Listen to Podcasts Social media Use social networking sites such as Facebook Read wikis Read blogs Post to an online community or forum Use Twitter Use social bookmarks (such as Reddit, Digg, or Delicious) Maintain your own blog Contribute to wikis Mobile services SMS or text messaging using your mobile Use the web via your mobile phone or similar portable device Use an App (Application) on your mobile phone or similar portable device Use a tablet computer (such as an iPad, Galaxy Tab, or Slate 500) Other None of the above QLD SA WA TAS NT ACT TOTAL 90% 42% 35% 34% 86% 42% 36% 37% 84% 38% 35% 39% 82% 37% 32% 34% 84% 39% 32% 32% 83% 39% 32% 31% 91% 53% 41% 48% 84% 41% 35% 36% 19% 23% 20% 15% 19% 18% 26% 31% 21% 47% 48% 49% 46% 46% 46% 53% 54% 48% 29% 28% 22% 8% 6% 29% 28% 18% 6% 8% 25% 26% 19% 4% 9% 23% 23% 16% 5% 7% 21% 25% 23% 6% 7% 27% 25% 18% 4% 7% 27% 27% 25% 10% 8% 42% 37% 21% 9% 10% 27% 27% 20% 6% 8% 5% 4% 5% 4% 6% 4% 5% 4% 5% 1% 4% 3% 8% 2% 6% 5% 5% 3% 79% 38% 81% 40% 81% 36% 81% 32% 83% 34% 81% 83% 89% 31% 42% 44% 81% 37% 33% 39% 36% 28% 33% 32% 42% 40% 35% 11% 15% 9% 9% 10% 11% 14% 16% 12% 9% 8% 9% 8% 7% 8% 91% 45% 39% 41% 4% 5% 8% 38 Interacting with Government — Australians' use and satisfaction with e-government services – Australian Department of Finance and Deregulation – 2011 – www.finance.gov.au/publications/interacting-with-government-2011/index.html The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 25 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens Victorian citizen readiness to engage government online While Victorian citizens are evidently very active and engaged digitally, the question remains as to whether they are willing and interested in engaging government online. The Victorian Government Social Media Analysis report39 from nmincite provides some guidance. Conducted over the period 15/12/2010 – 15/12/2011, this analysis reported on unprompted citizen discussion regarding the Victorian Government and its agencies in social media. The report was designed to measure the level of citizen social media discussion and build an understanding of citizen mindsets. The report found that of 5,810 messages discussing the Victorian Government and its agencies, 51 per cent were neutral in sentiment, 20 per cent positive and Overall citizen sentiment towards the Mixed 25 per cent negative, with 4 per cent of mixed Victorian Government and its agencies in 4% sentiment. social media It also found that government news announcements were a trigger for online citizen conversations, with the dominant discussion platforms including Twitter and forums. Facebook rated quite low in comparison. Common topics of discussion included the Victorian Government and economy (53 per cent), followed by health and community (31 per cent), with environment and water and law and justice following (both on 19 per cent) (refer to the full chart next page). Positive 20% Negative 25% Neutral 51% Besides topics related specifically to the Victorian Government, a number of programs and processes were regularly discussed by the public, with citizens displaying a broad mix of opinions and perspectives. The report noted that Victorian Government news announcements could generate considerable discussions on both mainstream social media sites (such as Twitter and Facebook), as well as in niche sites. It recommended that agencies monitor both broad and niche discussions, with particular attention to niche citizen groups to understand their concerns and points of view and whether there were legitimate issues that needed consideration and to be addressed. The Victorian Government Social Media Analysis also highlighted that the Victorian Government and its agencies appeared to be innovative in their use of social media, with a particular note that content appeared to be up-to-date, relevant and presented in an appropriate manner for the audiences. 39 Victorian Government Social Media Analysis – nmincite – 29 March 2012 The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 26 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens Willingness to engage online AGIMO’s Interacting with Government report for 2011 indicated that 100 per cent of Victorians engaging with state government online felt the engagement was useful, compared to 95 per cent of Victorians engaging with Commonwealth government in the same manner. Of Victorians engaging their state government online, 100 per cent felt the engagement useful. Online (including e-government services) was the largest channel used by Victorians to contact state government agencies, accounting for slightly over one-third of contacts. Online was also the leading channel for Victorians to contact Commonwealth and State agencies, though to a slightly lesser degree. The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 27 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens Citizen views of Victorian government websites Victorians regarded websites produced by the state government highly. Up-to-date information Victorian state government websites were regarded as equivalent to Commonwealth sites in terms of content currency. When compared against NSW and Queensland state government sites, the Victorian government performed marginally poorer, with an ‘Excellent’ rating of 88 per cent versus 89 per cent for the other states. Victorian government websites are highly regarded by most citizens and considered easy to use compared to other government sites. Ease of use Victorian state government sites were regarded as by far the easiest government sites to use by Victorians, with 75 per cent indicating they were excellent, while residents only considered 57 per cent of Commonwealth and 50 per cent of local government sites as excellent. In comparison to other large states, only 44 per cent of Queensland residents felt their state government sites were excellent in ease of use, compared to 68 per cent for New South Wales and the aforementioned 75 per cent for Victoria. The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 28 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens Designed to help get things done quickly Again Victorian government sites were rated highly by Victorians as ‘helping to get thing done quickly’ online, a key performance metric for websites where user patience is measured in seconds rather than days. 63 per cent of Victorian residents gave an excellent rating to state sites, compared to 54 per cent for Commonwealth and 50 per cent for local government sites. Victorian state government sites performed well against Queensland state government sites (at 44 per cent), however NSW state government sites (at 68 per cent) were regarded more highly, but with a greater spread of views. 100 per cent of respondents considered Victorian state government sites excellent or good at helping residents get things done, compared to a total of 86 per cent of NSW residents for NSW state government sites. Designed to help find information This was the weakest area for Victorian state government sites, with Victorians rating Commonwealth sites more highly at 62 per cent indicating they were excellent, compared to state sites at 50 per cent. Residents of NSW and Queensland both viewed their state government’s websites as better designed to help find information than Victorians rated their own state government sites. In Queensland, 67 per cent of residents indicated their state sites were excellent, compared to 57 per cent of NSW residents and only 50 per cent of Victorians. The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 29 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens Designed for all kinds of people The Victorian government rated highly in this area (63 per cent), compared to how Victorians rated local (36 per cent) and Commonwealth (39 per cent) sites and compared to ratings given by residents of other large states to their state government’s sites, QLD (44 per cent) and NSW (39 per cent). How connected are Victorians relative to other jurisdictions? Compared to national averages, Victoria does well in both internet and social media use. The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 30 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens Commonwealth and Victorian internet and social media use compared Australians accessing the internet (98%) Victorians accessing the internet (99%) Australian h/holds with home net access (79%) Victorian h/holds with home net access (79%) Commonwealth agencies using social media (73%) Victorian agencies using social media (76%) Australians using social media (62%) Victorians using social media (70%) Compared to other Australian state and territory jurisdictions, Victoria was ranked third overall for household internet access, second for overall social media use and either 2 nd or 3rd for most social network channels – making Victorians the most connected social media users in Australia across the board. However Victoria was rated lower than the other large states in mobile use, as well as for internet use by older people and people with disabilities. Victoria also had the third largest metro/rural divide in internet use, with the Mallee region, at 60 per cent, as the regional area with the lowest level of household internet access, behind Melbourne at 81 per cent. How Victoria ranks compared to other Australian state and territory jurisdictions Rating* Ranking Usage National Average Internet use Access the internet (Sensis 2012) 2nd 99% 98% Household internet access (ABS 2011) 3rd 79% 79% By older people (aged 65+) (ABS 2009) 7th 38% 41% By persons with a disability (ABS 2009) 7th 50% 57% Metro/rural connection divide (small is better) (ABS 2011) 6th 21% 18%** Social media Social media use (by internet users) (Sensis 2012) 2nd 70% 62% Facebook use (by social media users) (Sensis 2012) 3rd 98% 87% LinkedIn use (by social media users) (Sensis 2012) 2nd 19% 16% Twitter use (by social media users) (Sensis 2012) 3rd 15% 14% Google+ use (by social media users) (Sensis 2012) 5th 9% 8% The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 31 of 34 Digital readiness of Victorian citizens Post reviews/blog posts (by social media users) (Sensis 2012) 2nd 27% 24% Read reviews/blogs (by social media users) (Sensis 2012) 3rd 70% 68% Mobile Use SMS/text messaging (AGIMO 2011) 8th 79% 81% Use web via mobile device (AGIMO 2011) 4th 38% 37% Use mobile apps (AGIMO 2011) 6th 33% 39% Use a tablet computer (Google 2012) 4th 11% 12% * Rating based on ranking. 1st = , 2nd – 3rd = , 4th– 6th = , 7th– 8th = ** Excludes ACT in average as the Territory is considered metro only. The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 32 of 34 In summary In summary Victorians have adopted digital channels enmasse, though some disadvantage remains. Approximately 99 per cent of Victorians use the internet according to the 2012 Yellow Social Media report, while 79 per cent of households have internet access according to the (one year older) Interacting with Government 2011 report. There are several ‘digital divides’ in Victoria, with people living outside of Melbourne and both disabled and older (65+) Victorians significantly less likely to use the internet. Based on ABS (2010-11) data, there was a metro/regional divide of 21 per cent – from Melbourne, where 81 per cent of households had internet access, and the least connected region of Mallee at 60 per cent. Based on ABS (2009) data, only 50 per cent of disabled persons in Victoria accessed the internet – less than in any other mainland state or territory. Based on ABS (2009) data, only 38 per cent of Victorians aged 65+ accessed the internet – also less than in any other mainland state or territory. The latest report from COTA has indicated that has improved and in 2011 reached 57.6 per cent. Mobile is an increasingly important channel Of the approximately 52 per cent of Victorians with smartphones, 76% are using them to access the internet and 66 per cent are using mobile apps. Google has predicting that by 2013 more than half of internet searches in Australia will be via mobile devices. The DBI reports that 12 per cent of visits to the vic.gov.au portal came from mobile devices in January– March 2012, up from 4 per cent in the same period in 2011 and 1 per cent in the same period for 2010, reflecting a rapid increase in mobile internet use. The next significant digital channel is likely to be in the lounge room Victoria will complete its digital television switchover in December 2013, with much of the state already fully digital. This offers potential as a new internet channel, particularly as over 63 per cent of Australian households have a game console, many internet-enabled and used to download games and videos. Digital televisions are also increasingly directly internet-enabled, and with the potential to use tablets and mobile phones as control devices, or to view internet-enhanced television content, there is potential for delivery of multimedia specific online content to citizens and to interact with them using internet social media channels via television. The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 33 of 34 In summary Victorians are heavy social media users Victorians are some of the most active daily users of Facebook and on average have more friends than users from other states and territories. Victorians are also active users of LinkedIn, Twitter and Google Plus and blogs. On average Victorian Facebook users accessed the service 1,107 times per year and had 253 friends Victorians are interested in talking about and engaging government online Victorians indicated a more positive view of Victorian Government websites than NSW and Queensland residents had of their state governments’ websites, on measures such as easy of use, design and getting things done. Victorians have also demonstrated a willingness to discuss government and public policy topics on social media services, with nmincite also finding that government news announcements were a trigger for citizen conversations online. Online has become the top channel for Victorians engaging the Victorian Government and 100 per cent of Victorians who reported engaging with state government online felt the engagement was useful. The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens Page 34 of 34