Facebook Use in Hawaii

I was talking to a marketer about Facebook the other day, especially about its use here in Hawaii.  “No one around here uses it,” he said, referring to West Hawaii, and I couldn’t disagree. Of my 44 friends on Facebook, only 13 are from the Big Island, and only one is what I would consider “active.”

But perhaps my friend was over-simplifying things. The Pew Internet & American Life Project issued a report where they described different “Tech User Types” (John Horrigan, The Mobile Difference). They put “Information and Communication Technology” users into 10 types of groups and fit those groups into two baskets based on how important mobile access was to the user.

The study found the majority of users (61%) were committed to “Stationary Media,” but that of that group, more than half were either “Information Encumbered” (struggling with information overload), “Tech Indifferent” (not heavy Internet users) or “Off Network” altogether (no cell phones or Internet access.) Only 13% of the “Stationary Media” group were considered regular Internet users, and they were mainly well-educated men in their 40′s who were financially well-off.

The rest of the group were described as “Motivated by Mobility.”  They represent 39% of all users and are heavy users and collaborators of information. These users would be hard-pressed to give up their Internet access and cell phones, though some admit it can be intrusive at times. The conclusion of the report was to point out a a “Mobile Difference” among Internet users — those who “plug in” are much more likely to be Digitally Savvy.

So, what does this say about Hawaii, and its estimated population of 1.29 million?

1. Honolulu remains one of the top most digitally savvy cities in the U.S., with an estimated 8% (103,200) of all adults demonstrating sophisticated and/or relatively heavy use of the Internet — one percentage point more than Los Angeles. Honolulu consistently ranks in the top 20 of any “digital city” study.

2. There are more than 1 million cell phone subscribers in Hawaii (Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism). About 60% of those subscribers send more text messages than phone calls (Neilson data), suggesting they are also frequent Internet users.

3. Each month, the number of cell phone users using mobile devices to watch videos increases by more than 10%, (Neilson) and more numbers of people are using their phone’s data features, such as Internet, photo sharing and videos online. This suggests the number of “digital savvy” has lots of room to increase during the next 5 to 10 years.

4. About 14% of the population (180,000) is “off network” altogether. This group is characterized as lower-income, lower education and older compared to their “digital savvy” counterparts.

5. Facebook is now the #1 photo sharing site on the Internet. Increasing numbers of young families are using Facebook to post pictures of their family online, and Hawaii families are getting online to keep in touch with those on the mainland. Parents who have kids that don’t call enough are learning how to text message and subscribe to Facebook feeds. As a result, Facebook now boasts 200 million users worldwide.

6. There are more than 277,000 Hawaii-based profiles in Facebook, enough for 1 out of 5 residents in Hawaii. However, fewer than 15% of these (41,550) appear to be “active” on a monthly basis.

If we apply these numbers and ratios to the estimated population on the Big Island (about 175,000 in 2007), we get:

Estimated Big Island Use of Information and Technology Content

• 134,000 cell phone subscribers on the Big Island (of which fewer than 6,000 watch mobile videos)
• 24,500 Big Island Residents who do not use the Internet or a mobile phone
• Around 14,000 “digital savvy” users, of which about 60% get their information from a computer.
• Less than 35,000 total Facebook profiles, of which less than 5,000 are “active” on the Big Island (>2,000 in West Hawaii).

So was my friend right?

Well, yes and no.

Yes… If fewer than 2% of the total population are on Facebook, then yes, it’s fair to say that “no one is on it.”

No … if you’re a marketer trying to attract an exclusive, well educated, higher income client base.

No … if you’re trying to distinguish yourself from the competition, and you’re the first one your customers see when they go online.

No… if you want to establish your brand on the Internet before it gets overly crowded, cluttered or expensive to do so.

The fact that Honolulu ranks high in Digital Savvy surveys suggests the numbers of Hawaii residents who will be using digital media in the near future will quickly grow over the next 5-10 years.

The rate of adoption and use of cell phones in Hawaii s can also be used to anticipate the rate of Internet use during the next few years. Big Island residents have shown they are not afraid to embrace technology and are relatively quick to pick it up when it becomes easy and affordable to do so.

Yet, there will continue to be a significant portion of Big Island residents who will remain “off grid.” Your marketing strategy must consider the values and lifestyle of your particular audience when deciding whether an online strategy makes sense for your situation.

Similarly, there are some industries more suited to social network platforms than others. Realtors, for example, have become early adopters and users of Internet marketing in Hawaii. They know their clients trust the Internet for research and trust-building and have responded accordingly. Many of the Hawaii Island brands on Twitter today are promoting real estate or vacation rentals. Lawyers, retail outlets and professional services are also entering the space in record numbers.

About once or twice a year it’s good to take a step back and ask yourself what the future will hold in 5 to 10 years from now. Who will your customers be in 2015? Will you need to reach more customers, or fewer? Will they be using the Internet to research your services? Will your competitors be online? Will your organization benefit from a stronger, more affinity-based brand? Do you want to be spending less on traditional old-media advertising or more?