Hootsuite and We Are Social have released their annual Digital 2022 Australia report that highlights the most notable findings on digital trends and social media in Australia.
The report showed the number of Australians adopting social media is up 4.6%, with 21 million social media users across the country and almost one million new users since this time last year, which is equivalent to 83% of the total population.
Letrecia Tippett, head of Australia and New Zealand, Hootsuite, said: “As social media usage in Australia steadily increases, it is more important than ever before for companies to embrace social media to strengthen their connection with their customers.”
“As Australians navigate through yet another challenging year of the pandemic, we encourage businesses to make use of the data from our Digital 2022 report to help them navigate which social media platforms will be most efficient in connecting them with their audiences.”
In addition to the rise in social media users, Australians aged 16-64 are spending more time on social media each day, at 1 hour and 57 minutes, which is up 10%. Facebook remains the most used social platform, followed by Facebook Messenger and Instagram in Australia.
Highlighting the need to invest in social commerce, the report also revealed 15 million (58% of the total population) Australians can be reached by advertising on Facebook, while TikTok has a potential ad reach of 7.38 million people aged 18+.
With a global audience available online, Australian businesses are increasingly investing in digital advertising, spending an additional AUD$551 million (US$392 million) which is an 18% increase, and AUD$2.2 billion (US$1.6 billion), a 27% increase, on social media and programmatic advertising respectively, than the previous year.
Social media represents 27% (AUD$3.6 billion/US$2.6 billion) of total share of digital advertising spend, and programmatic’s share of total represents 78 percent (AUD$10.5 billion/US$7.5 billion).
Tippett added: “The significant uplift in digital advertising spend over the past 12 months shows Australian businesses are competing for share of voice and looking to maximise their customer reach across all avenues online. As we move forward, organisations should continue to prioritise a digital-led strategy, so as not to miss out on key opportunities for growth and new customers.”
Despite Facebook continuing to be the most popular app, Australians are spending longer on TikTok, with users spending an average of 23.4 hours per person, per month (40% increase) on the app, compared to 17.6 hours (3% decline) on Facebook and 8.3 hours monthly (2% increase) on Instagram.
TikTok’s ad audience also continues to grow at a rapid pace. Digital 2022 Australia indicates that the platform now has a reach of 37% (audience aged 18+), and was the third most downloaded mobile app over the past year, behind Service Victoria and Service NSW.
The report also highlights how gaming has become mainstream for Australians, with 3 in 4 internet users aged 16-64 playing video games, using a gaming console for an average of 1 hour 7 minutes per day (24% increase). As a result, Australian digital media spend in video games has increased by 25 percent, now at AUD$1 billion (US$716.9 million).
Mobile remains the preferred gaming device, with almost half of adult internet users playing games on smartphones (49.5%).
Suzie Shaw, CEO at We Are Social Australia, said: “Online gaming has really become a mainstream pursuit in Australia, with many spending hours a week doing it. Throughout the pandemic, audiences have stayed connected via gaming, and it’s really evolved from just being a source of solitary entertainment to an activity where people are socialising, interacting with friends and family and creating meaningful connections.”
“Navigating the gaming space can be challenging, but given the size of the audience, the time spent doing it, the immersiveness of gaming environments and the creative flexibility it provides, brands should be considering gaming as part of their strategy in 2022.”