Associate Director for Research Kristen Purcell will join social media practitioners from local museums and arts organizations for a lively discussion about the value of social media to our institutions.

1. Arts
Organizations
and Digital
Technologies:
Findings from a 2012
Pew Research Center
Survey
Kristen Purcell, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Research
Pew Internet Project
Social Media Week
Washington, DC
February 22, 2013

2. About the Survey
• Conducted by the Pew Research Center – our mission is to provide
high quality, objective data to thought leaders and policymakers
• Between May 30 and July 20, 2012, Pew Internet conducted an
online survey of a non-probability national (U.S.) sample of arts
organizations
• 1,258 arts organizations took the survey, representing a wide range
of disciplines, organizational functions, budgets, etc.
• Art museums comprised 9% of the final sample (performing groups
made up the largest portion of the final sample at 22%)
• Presentation slides and full report are available at pewinternet.org

3. Setting the Stage:
US Adult Internet Use in 2013
85% of US adults use the internet Mobile is the
2/3 have broadband at home needle, social is
the thread
84% have a cell phone, including
45% who have a smartphone
24% have a tablet computer
19% have an e-reader
2/3 of adult cell phone users are
wireless internet users
69% of online adults use social
networking sites, 16% use Twitter

4. Setting the Stage:
US Teen Internet Use in 2013
95% of 12-17 year-olds use the Mobile is the
internet needle, social is
77% have a cell phone, including the thread
23% who have a smartphone
31% of 14-17 year-olds have a
smartphone
75% of teens text and the median
number of texts sent daily is 60
(100 for girls ages 14-17)
In July 2011, 80% of online teens
used SNS, 14% used Twitter

5. 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 from
and ANYWHERE multiple, varied sources
Puts information at our Provide instant feedback,
fingertips, literally meaning and context
Magnifies the demand Allow us to shape and
for timely, actionable create information
information ourselves and easily
Makes information amplify others’ messages
location-sensitive

6. How your patrons reflect these mobile/social trends…
% 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 2011 data
6%
museum
74% of adult smartphone owners use their phone to get directions, recommendations or
other information based on their present location
21% use their phone to get coupons or deals to use at local businesses

7. Patrons develop personal connections via SNS
with public figures and entities…
% of adult SNS/Twitter users who follow…
Individual artists, musicians or
41%
other performers
Musical, dance or theater
29%
groups/venues
Arts galleries or other visual
11%
arts orgs
2011 data
Museums 8%

8. …and those personal connections can help you find and
engage with “Superfans”
In the 12 months prior to the survey….
44% of adults had attended a live music, dance or theater
2011 data
performance – it was 77% among those who follow a
music/dance/theatrical group or venue on SNS
35% of adults had visited a museum – it was 82% among
those who follow a museum on SNS
35% of adults had attended an arts, craft or music festival –
it was 55% among those who follow individual artists,
musicians or performers on SNS
29% of adults had visited an art gallery, show or exhibit –
it was 82% among those who follow an art gallery or other
visual arts organization on SNS

9. So, how are arts organizations capitalizing
on these trends?

10. Generally increasing their online presence
• 99% host a website
% of arts orgs who say the internet is very or somewhat important for…
Very Important Somewhat Important • 86% have increased the
number of online
Promoting the arts 81% 15%
events and exhibits
Increasing audience engagement 78% 18% they host over the past
Gathering research and data for grant
applications
65% 25% several years
Indentifying sources of funding 64% 27%
• 97% have a social
Using your organization's resources
more efficiently
63% 29% media presence
Engaging in arts advocacy 55% 29%
• 69% have individual
Providing arts education to the public 33% 37%
employees with
Artistic creation and/or collaboration 28% 39% professional social
Improving arts cataloging and collections
management
27% 16% media profiles they use
Improving arts curation 19% 24% in their capacity as a
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% representative of the
Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project Arts Organizations Survey. Conducted between May organization
30-July 20, 2012. N for respondents who answered this question=1,212.

11. Major functions served by arts orgs’ websites
Multi-Media Content Promotion Audience Interaction
• 94% post photos on • 86% accept donations • 90% let patrons
their website online share their content
via email, SNS and
• 81% post or stream • 74% maintain an online
Twitter
video calendar
• 81% let users
• 57% post or stream • 72% sell tickets online
comment publicly on
audio
• 47% sell merchandise the site
• 50% maintain a blog online
• 28% host online
• 20% present online • 34% make info available discussion groups
exhibits through RSS feeds
• 22% host webinars
• 31% offer discounts
through services such as
Groupon or LivingSocial

12. Arts Orgs’ Use of Social Media
The social media platforms arts organizations use… • 97% of these orgs have a
profile or page on a social
media site
• 69% also have individual
employees with
professional social media
profiles they use as
representatives of the
organization
• 56% of the orgs that use
social media have a profile
on 4-9 different social
media sites
• 10% of the orgs that use
social media are active on
Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project Arts Organizations Survey. Conducted between 10+ platforms
May 30-July 20, 2012. N for respondents who answered this question=1,202.

13. How
45% of arts orgs using social media post daily
How often organizations post content on social media…
Other uses of social media…
Every
Less • 82% use social media to engage
often
few
weeks
3% with audience members prior to,
8% Several during, or following an event
times a
About
day • 77% use social media to monitor
once a
week 25% what is being said about their
16%
organization
About • 65% use social media to learn more
Several once a day
times a 20% about their audience
week
28% • 52% use social media to get
feedback from the public or
“crowdsource” an idea
Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project Arts Organizations Survey. Conducted
between May 30-July 20, 2012. N for respondents who answered this question=1,131.

14. Do arts orgs see a payoff from social media?
• 56% say it’s had a major impact Very true Somewhat true
on boosting org’s public profile
Social media is worth the time our
• 53% see major impact on organization spends on it
58% 33%
engagement with public
Social media helps my organization
• 48% see major impact on reach a broader audience than it
52% 41%
would otherwise be able to
increasing traffic to website
The younger employees in our
• 45% see major impact on event organization have a
more positive view of social media…
38% 32%
promotion/attendance
Social media helps our existing
• 41% see major impact on audience members
37% 48%
audience building and feel more a part of the organization
stakeholder engagement Overall, my organization does not
have the personnel or resources it
• 27% see major impact on needs to use social media effectively
30% 44%
audience engagement w/content Social media creates more risks than
benefits for our
• Just 13% see major impact on organization
5%
professional collaboration, or on
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
fundraising Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project Arts Organizations Survey. Conducted
between May 30-July 20, 2012. N for respondents who answered this question=1,117.

15. Not everyone is on board the social media train
Major reason Minor reason
My organization is concerned about the continued
resources that would be necessary to maintain a 35% 40%
successful social media profile or campaign
My organization does not have the staff skills or
knowledge it needs to begin using social media 30% 25%
My organization is able to reach our community/
stakeholders through other means, so we do not need to 18% 39%
use social media
My organization does not have the financial resources it
needs to begin using social media 16% 33%
My organization does not use social media because it is
too difficult to control what is said in social networking 12% 40%
spaces
My organization does not have access to the updated
hardware or software necessary to use social media 7% 23%
effectively
My organization tried using social media in the past and
found that it was ineffective 5% 5%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project Arts Orgs Survey. Conducted May 30-July 20, 2012. N for respondents who answered this question=1,117.

16. Funding and Staffing Social Media Efforts
Staffing Funding and Development
• 76% of social media-using orgs have • 49% of these orgs have sought funding
full-time paid staff tending the sites specifically to expand their organization’s use of
• 29% use part-time staff the internet or other technologies, such as apps
and social media
• 16% use volunteers
• 36% have conducted research to learn more
• 8% use paid contractors
about how their audiences use technologies
• Altogether, 13% use a combination of
full-time and part-time staffers to
manage social media
• Just 27% have a staff member whose
position is dedicated to social media
management
• 73% use staff to oversee social
media who also have other
responsibilities

17. Social media, the good….
“When SB1079 passed in Arizona, our “After seeing that a patron has checked into our venue or has
organization (who specializes in been talking about how good our show was, we thank them
Mexican music and dance), in the publicly and invite them back. This gives us the ability to
matter of days, was able to write, create a personal interaction with them and create a
record and make a video of a song that connection that encourages them to come back. Sometimes
directly addressed the issue. The video our actors will join in when they see us thanking a patron,
was posted on YouTube and got and send a personal thanks from the cast. “
hundreds of hits in the matter of days.
It was a way for us to execute our
mission to a large audience in a short
“We solicited ideas for how to name
amount of time.”
our "signature cocktail" at an
upcoming benefit, based on the theme
of the benefit. Facebook fans wrote in
with lots of ideas, we picked our top
“We were the subject of comments concerning funding favorites, and then released a poll so
and donations from a local political organization and our fans could vote on the name we ended
patrons responded in full with comments, examples and up using. It generated awareness of the
telling our story in a stronger and better way than even event (which was a record success) and
our staff would have been able to do. We were proud allowed those who might not have
that we did not have to, in any way, defend our value to been able to attend the event a way to
the community, our audience did this for us.” engage with the party.”

18. ….and the bad
“We provide grants and an organization who was unhappy
“Any time you engage in social media, you about not receiving a grant posted some negative stuff on
open yourself up to negative feedback. An Twitter. While we responded and kept it professional, it
example of this would be announcing our did put negative comments out there associated with our
summer concert series, and having someone profile, potentially damaging our brand.”
not like one of the many guest artists we
bring in. However, for every negative
comment, there is usually someone with a
different opinion.” “Before we put policies in place, one of
our employees, who was a great social
media user, kind of merged his own
identity on Facebook with that of our
organization. Therefore, when he also
would party and post about it – it
“Because we do a lot of work in rural areas, with senior became an area of discipline. And he
citizens, and low income areas, social media only works for didn't understand the need for
a portion of our audience. Getting everyone informed of a separating these things out, keeping his
last minute change or spontaneous program simultaneously personal life off of our public profile.
is tricky without overlooking certain portions of the That was several years ago.”
population. A heavy reliance on social media, though
convenient, can exclude many people.”

19. Broader impacts on the arts world…
Perceived positive impacts of technology on the arts
Based on your experiences and those of your organization, do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?
Strongly agree Somewhat agree
The internet has increased engagement in
the arts by providing a public platform
50% 42%
through
which more people can share their work
Because of the internet and digital
technologies, the arts audience is more 31% 52%
diverse than it was in the past
The internet has played a major role in
broadening the boundaries of what is 27% 50%
considered art
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. Conducted May 30-July 20, 2012. N for respondents who answered this
question=1,207.

20. Broader impacts on the arts world…
Perceived negative impacts of technology on the arts
Strongly agree Somewhat agree
Digital distractions such as ringing cell phones and
audience member texting are a significant disruption 37% 34%
to live performances
The internet and related technologies have
created an expectation among some audiences that 26% 48%
all digital content should be free
The internet and digital technologies are
negatively impacting audience members' 9% 31%
attention spans for live performance
The internet is shifting the focus of many arts
organizations from artistic creation and curation to 6% 29%
promotion and marketing
The internet and digital technologies are hurting arts
organizations by decreasing attendance at in-person 3% 19%
events
The internet and digital technologies are diluting the
arts by giving everyone interested in the arts and arts 2% 8%
criticism a public platform
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. Conducted between May 30-July 20, 2012. N for respondents who answered this question=1,207.

21. What does the future hold?
“As the realism of participatory digital “Digital technologies allows for students and artists all over the
entertainment (video games, etc.) and the world to be inspired by one another. In some ways this is
immersion ability of non-participatory digital fantastic, in other ways, this breaks down the cultural
entertainment (3D movies, etc.) increases, it differences that is so beautiful about having multiple countries
threatens the elements that make the live arts involved in an art form.”
unique--the sense of immediacy, immersion,
and personal interaction with the art. We've
long hung fast to the belief that there's
nothing like a live experience, but digital
entertainment is getting closer and closer to
replicating that experience, and live theatre “Access will be good for educational
will struggle to compete with the former's purposes and to increase awareness of
convenience and cost.” the arts especially historical material in
performance of all types. However,
issues of copyright and payment for that
material, such as in apps and in
streaming or downloading, are murky
“Our chief concern for the literary arts is the increasing and hard to navigate for artists
"validity" of self-publication among reviewers, readers, and themselves as to value and fairness of
writers. Online publishing and book sales through Amazon payments to the artist for original
(for example) contribute to this problem. If there are no content. “
gatekeepers, it will become even more difficult to draw
attention to works of genuinely high quality.”

22. THANK YOU!!
Data and report available at: pewinternet.org
Kristen Purcell
Associate Director for Research, Pew Internet Project
kpurcell@pewinternet.org
Twitter:
@pewinternet
@kristenpurcell
***Cover and background image is street art in Norway by Skurktur***