Online media consumption is extremely fragmented by age and task.
According to this eMarketer study of UK Internet users (77% of all UK adults, 16 or older), some interesting trends emerge. It is crucial for firms and marketers to be aware of these essential trends:
- E-mail is not dead and is used by 90% of the Internet population, with little fluctuation across age groups.
- 31% of users access the Internet through their phone. Among younger users (ages 16 to 24), an estimated 44% browse the internet on their phones. If your site is not – at minimum – mobile accessible, this needs to be a priority!
I was a bit surprised, though, that more 25-44 year olds bank online (63%) than read online news (53%).
According to eMarketer:
TV is a big draw, with roughly 17 million people streaming television content from the web. Men were more than twice as likely to do this—perhaps because they are more likely to seek out snippets of news, sports or financial coverage during the day. Or perhaps women make more effort to watch when their favorite programs are broadcast. Whatever the reason, the ONS found that 52% of male web users had used video-on-demand services like the BBC iPlayer and Channel 4’s 4oD, compared to 23% of women.
There is still a huge digital divide. Three-fifths of people 65 and older have never gone online in the UK. But, for those under 65, digital marketing is a must.