How to reach digitally excluded audiences
1. Definitions
Digital exclusion is when people have continuing unequal access, skills, motivation and confidence to use digital technologies (such as smart phones, the internet and computers) that is essential to fully participate in society.
Digital poverty is the lack of access to the internet and/or digital technologies to connect to it.
Data poverty is the lack of enough mobile or broadband data to meet essential needs, typically due to cost.
The digital divide is the gap between people who have access to digital technologies as well as the skills, confidence and motivation to use them, and those who do not.
2. How and why are people digitally excluded?
Whilst only 5% of the UK population have not used the internet in the last three months, that still equates to 2.6 million people.[i] And on top of that there are many more people who are very limited users of the internet (32% of internet users in a 2021 Ofcom survey were defined as “narrow” internet users[ii]) – digital exclusion sits along a spectrum.
There are three broad types of digital exclusion:
- A lack of access to devices and/or data;
- A lack of digital skills;
- A lack of motivation and confidence.
They can affect different people in different ways, and have different solutions. One person may be impacted by one, two or all three. Digital exclusion is nuanced, and neither static nor binary. Whether and how someone experiences digital exclusion may change over the course of their lifetime. For example due to changes in education, income, where they live, access and training through work, who they live with and so on. Internet users can still be digitally excluded if they lack the skills and confidence to safely navigate the digital world. As technology evolves over time, digital skills and confidence will also need to be topped up.
A lack of access to devices and/or data
Individuals and households may not have any devices they can use to access the internet, whether that is a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer.
A lack of access to sufficient mobile or broadband data to be able to undertake actions online may also be a problem, for example due to cost barriers or unstable housing.
Overall, 96% of households had internet access in 2020, although the figure varies between different demographic groups.[iii] Groups more likely not to have internet access at home are people who are aged 65+, in social grade DE households and who are most financially vulnerable. [iv] For example, only 80% of households with one adult aged 65+ had internet access.
A lack of digital skills
This category affects the largest number of people in the UK. About 11 million people don’t have the digital skills needed for everyday life, whilst circa 10 million people (19% of the UK’s adult population) can’t access the internet themselves and undertake the most basic digital tasks such as turning on a device and opening an internet browser. About 11.8 million people lack the essential digital skills needed for work, although this has dropped from 52% in 2020 to 36% of the workforce in 2021.[v]
People lacking basic digital skills are most likely to be aged 75+ (although education mitigates this); living with a sensory impairment that affects day-to-day life; without formal qualifications; living alone; not working; social grades DE.[vi]
A lack of motivation and confidence
This final category refers to a lack of interest or perceived need in using the internet. The top five reasons non-users cited for not using the internet in the past three months are concerns around privacy and security and having their identity taken; feeling that the internet is too complicated; a preference for spending money on other things; and that the internet doesn’t interest them. 32% of those offline said “nothing” could motivate them to get online (down from 48% pre-pandemic).[vii]
3. What is the impact of digital exclusion?
The impact of digital exclusion may be different from individual to individual. However, some of the key ways that people are affected include:
- Earning less, as digital skills equate to increased earnings of 3-10%;
- Being excluded from some jobs, and finding it harder to apply for jobs;
- Paying more for shopping and utilities (online is often cheaper and it is easier to shop around);
- Being at higher risk of online harms such as identity theft and disinformation;
- Increased loneliness and social isolation;
- Harder to access health advice and appointments, support services for housing or social care.[viii]
Thinking about culture and heritage in particular, the impact of digital exclusion may include that some audiences can’t find out about venues, activities and events; can’t access some interpretation; or can’t participate in online events. This may result in your organisation not being able to diversify its audiences as much as it wants to.
Digital exclusion may also impact your organisation in other ways, for example people can’t apply for certain jobs or volunteering opportunities, and organisations make slower progress in integrating and maximising the benefits of digital technology.
4. How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected digital exclusion?
The impact of the pandemic on digital exclusion has been mixed. On the one hand, it has exacerbated the digital divide and many people who were already marginalised and vulnerable have been increasingly so. For example, left without access to free community internet through libraries during lockdowns; a widened attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers due to a lack of internet, devices and/or skills to support remote learning; and not being able to connect with loved ones and access virtual social activities.[ix]
On the other hand, the pandemic made digital exclusion a more visible and critical issue, prompting a range of responses such as schools and charities providing devices to pupils for remote learning; the creation of the National Databank, a data donation scheme which provides free sim cards, mobile data and talk minutes and texts; and free digital skills training being made available.
The 2021 UK Consumer Digital Index report which Lloyds Bank produces annually notes that: “In terms of digital engagement, the UK has made five years’ worth of progress in just one year.” It found that there are now 1.9m fewer people who are digitally excluded than before the pandemic; that 29% people believe they improved their digital skills in lockdown; and 9 in 10 people who have engaged online more or in new ways during pandemic plan to continue these new habits going forward.[x]
In terms of digital engagement, the UK has made five years’ worth of progress in just one year.
Many heritage and cultural organisations created digital activities and programmes during the Covid-19 pandemic to connect to audiences, in particular during the lockdowns. Access didn’t require travel to a particular venue and was often free of charge. However, the Culture in Crisis report notes that this shift to digital nonetheless largely failed to diversify the audience base – it was roughly the same number and type of attenders who engaged online as had previously attended venues in-person.[xi]
5. How can you identify and understand your organisation’s digitally excluded audiences?
Whilst there are national patterns, they may not all be relevant to your organisation, or they may be of varying importance.
When thinking about your own audiences, who are you referring to? As well as visitors and participants, you might also want to consider staff, volunteers and trustees; donors; representatives from partners and stakeholders; and your local community as a whole.
You could undertake an audit to help identify and understand your organisation’s digitally excluded audiences, such as the one below:
| Audience group | Type of digital exclusion that impacts them | What are the implications for our marketing and engagement? | What don’t we know or understand that we need to find out? | ||
| Lack of data / devices? | Lack of skills? | Lack of motivation? | |||
| Group 1 | |||||
| Group 2 | |||||
| Group 3 | |||||
If there are gaps and things you don’t know, you could carry out some research or consultation, such as a survey or focus group. You could also see if existing research and data can plug these gaps. Useful sector research includes:
- Digital Inclusion and Exclusion in the Arts and Cultural Sector from the Good Things Foundation and Arts Council England;
- The Covid-19 Cultural Participation Monitor Digital Report from The Audience Agency;
- The Culture in Crisis report from the Centre for Cultural Value.
There may also be relevant research and data about digital exclusion in your local community held by local authorities, a local or regional digital exclusion taskforce or project, or other stakeholders that work in this space, including charities and business organisations (for example Business Improvement Districts or Local Economic Partnerships). Ofcom and the Office for National Statistics also shares research on digital exclusion and digital media use.
If you want to discover more about the digital attitudes and skills of your staff, volunteers and trustees, you can use the DASH (Digital Attitudes and Skills for Heritage) survey questions, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Heritage Alliance. You can also compare your results to their sector findings from 2020 and 2021, as well as digest the reports’ recommendations.
6. What questions should you consider when planning your marketing and engagement to include digitally excluded audiences?
Marketing
- Which communication channels are you using? Which audiences can you not reach using digital channels, and how can you focus and target your resources to reach them? This may be different for different exhibitions and events. Local and community media; stalls at community fayres and markets; posters in relevant locations; targeted direct mail or letterbox drops; and spreading the word through stakeholder organisations and gatekeepers can be effective.
- Do audiences who are not online have equality of opportunity with those that are (for example, access to information, discounts and offers, priority booking and so on)?
- Is your website accessible and user-friendly, with simple navigation?
- Are your prices affordable and do you have a range of concessionary rates and free opportunities to engage?
Engagement
- What alternatives do/can you provide for interpretation that relies on audiences having a smartphone (such as information accessed via a QR code)?
- Do the digital activities and experiences you create work for audiences irrespective of their device type and internet speed?
- Is support required to help audiences to see how digital engagement is of value to them, and to encourage them to participate?
- Is the digital activity or interpretation user-friendly and intuitive to use?
- Do you provide alternatives to online surveys and tablet feedback questions?
And for both
- Do staff, volunteers and trustees have the skills, resources, capacity and will needed to deliver digitally inclusive activities and experiences?
- Does your organisation have the digital resources and infrastructure needed?
You could use this grid to plot your audiences against their uptake of digital engagement and their likelihood or frequency of in-person visits. This could identify audience groups that you might want to develop off-site, in-person outreach and engagement for, such as these examples. You might also find the results from The Audience Agency’s Digital Audiences Survey useful for this exercise.
|
Uptake of digital engagement |
High |
||
| Low
|
|||
| Low | High | ||
|
Likelihood or frequency of in-person visits |
|||
7. How can you be digitally inclusive?
Digital inclusion involves working with communities to ensure that all individuals and communities have the access, skill and confidence to use and benefit from the internet and digital technology.
Being digitally inclusive will not only help you to reach and connect with more audiences, but will also enable you to be part of the broader solution to tackle digital exclusion. Below are some examples of actions you could take.
Tackling a lack of access to data and/or devices
- Invest in digital infrastructure to enable effective digital delivery and working.
- Offer free public Wi-Fi in your venue.
- Lend tablets to audiences which can be used on-site who don’t have smartphones with data.
- Provide public access to computers.
- Create a space which can be used as a homework or study hub.
Tackling a lack of skills
- Ensure your website is accessible and user-friendly, with a simple navigation and booking system.
- Use the DASH survey to undertake an audit of digital skills and attitudes internally in your organisation.
- Provide and/or signpost to digital training for staff, volunteers and trustees. Useful free resources are included here on the Digital Heritage Hub, as well as the Arts Marketing Association’s CultureHive and the Digital Culture Network run by Arts Council England.
- Create and recruit for specific digital volunteering opportunities.
- Set up skill swaps or mentoring within your teams (the DASH survey results showed a strong preference for learning from others in-person).
Tackling a lack of confidence or motivation
- Provide approachable and friendly support as part of your front of house teams, on phone and online enquiries.
- Be honest and transparent about how you handle personal data.
- Link digital training and support to clear outcomes – research from DASH[xii] and Lloyds[xiii] has shown that people are more motivated to learn digital skills when they can see a clear outcome as a result. For example, being able to stay in touch with friends and family or being able to undertake a particular task at work.
Other ideas that cover all three areas
- Use Arts Council England’s Digital Culture Compass and Charter to assess your organisation’s current use of digital, set targets and develop a strategy for making improvements.
- Make your digital content as accessible as possible. This guide from the Digital Skills for Heritage Initiative is a good place to start.
- Consult with relevant user groups, organisations working in this space and/or experts.
- Create a series of user personas (fictional characters who experience different types of digital exclusion), and consider each of them when developing new projects, exhibitions, events and marketing campaigns.
- Connect and work with relevant community support organisations, such as libraries, charities, local authorities, health and care services and digital agencies.
- Develop opportunities for digital champions or enthusiasts in your organisation.
- Embed digital inclusion into projects and funding applications (there may also be digital inclusion funds outside the heritage and cultural sectors you can apply to).
- Join the Online Centres Network, which brings together thousands of grassroots organisations working to tackle digital and social exclusion.
It is worth noting that these approaches will benefit a range of other groups as well, for example providing Wi-Fi benefits international visitors who may face large roaming charges to access their mobile data at your venue; and using other communications channels can also reach people choosing to come off social media platforms (for example for a social media detox).
8. How can you measure the impact of what you do?
If you are trying something new and/or investing resources, it’s a good idea to review and evaluate the success of this to feed into future planning and initiatives. Here are some tips:
- Start with being clear on your objectives and what you want to achieve. How can you make a difference?
- Establish a baseline if appropriate so you can track and compare progress.
- Be clear on the mechanism for capturing feedback and evaluation from the outset.
- Whilst quantifiable results can be attractive, don’t underestimate the huge difference you can make for each individual person – qualitative evaluation can also be very important.
- Once you have reviewed your initiative, share your results internally and consider sharing them with stakeholders and the sector as a whole so we can keep learning from each other.
References
[i] https://www.lloydsbank.com/assets/media/pdfs/banking_with_us/whats-happening/210513-lloyds-consumer-digital-index-2021-report.pdf
[ii] https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0025/217834/adults-media-use-and-attitudes-report-2020-21.pdf
[iii] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/householdcharacteristics/homeinternetandsocialmediausage/bulletins/internetaccesshouseholdsandindividuals/2020#internet-access-households-and-individuals-data%C2%A0
[iv] https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0025/217834/adults-media-use-and-attitudes-report-2020-21.pdf
[v] https://www.lloydsbank.com/assets/media/pdfs/banking_with_us/whats-happening/210923-lb-essential-digital-skills-2021-report.pdf
[vi] https://www.lloydsbank.com/assets/media/pdfs/banking_with_us/whats-happening/210923-lb-essential-digital-skills-2021-report.pdf
[vii] https://www.lloydsbank.com/assets/media/pdfs/banking_with_us/whats-happening/210513-lloyds-consumer-digital-index-2021-report.pdf
[viii] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/householdcharacteristics/homeinternetandsocialmediausage/articles/exploringtheuksdigitaldivide/2019-03-04#why-does-digital-exclusion-matter
[ix] https://post.parliament.uk/covid-19-and-the-digital-divide/
[x] https://www.lloydsbank.com/assets/media/pdfs/banking_with_us/whats-happening/210513-lloyds-consumer-digital-index-2021-report.pdf
[xi] https://www.culturehive.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Culture_in_Crisis.pdf
[xii] https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/about/insight/research/dash-report-2021-pandemic-future-planning
[xiii] https://www.lloydsbank.com/assets/media/pdfs/banking_with_us/whats-happening/210923-lb-essential-digital-skills-2021-report.pdf
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Please attribute as: "How to reach digitally excluded audiences (2022) by Christina Lister supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, licensed under CC BY 4.0
