2024 Rural Broadband Streaming and Social Media Study, With Scott Meyer

For the second year in a row, price was not the No. 1 concern for respondents in Innovative Systems’ annual broadband survey. What is it that matters most? This episode also includes notes on bundling, social media platform usage, streaming options and communication preferences.

Special: Recorded LIVE at StoryConnect 2024!

Creators & Guests

Host

Andy Johns

Vice President of Marketing

What is The StoryConnect Podcast?

StoryConnect features interviews with marketers, communicators, CEOs and other leaders at cooperative and independent broadband companies, electric cooperatives and municipal power providers. The goal of the podcast is to help listeners discover ideas to shape their stories and connect with their customers. It is produced by Pioneer Utility Resources.

Andy Johns:
Hi StoryConnect listeners.

This is Andy, and I am here just to let you know about a couple
of audio problems we had with these episodes.

If you've been to StoryConnect before, you know that we have a
ton of fun recording live episodes there in the conference

center, and we did that once again this year in Hood River.

Unfortunately, in this episode you're about to listen to, some
of the audio is not quite as good as it is when we're recording

otherwise. I think it's an important episode, and we did learn a
few things from last time we recorded live, but it's still not

perfect. So, I just wanted to give you a heads up on that.

If this is your first time listening, normally, we're pretty
proud of the pristine quality we're able to deliver.

But this one is a little bit rough, so I wanted to give you a
heads up.

We think it's an important episode, and I hope you enjoy.

Intro:
A production of Pioneer Utility Resources.

StoryConnect, helping communicators discover ideas to shape
their stories and connect with their customers.

Andy Johns:
What is the most important thing to rural internet consumers?

That's what we'll be talking about on this episode of
StoryConnect: The Podcast.

My name is Andy Johns, your host with Pioneer, and I'm joined on
this episode by Scott Meyer, who is the marketing director for

Innovative Systems.

And Scott, thanks for joining me.

Scott Meyer:
My pleasure as always.

Andy Johns:
So Scott's episodes are always some of the most popular episodes
of the year.

I think you had 2 or 3 years in a row you made our top five for
the year.

This past year, you slipped down to number six, so I need you to
step it up when we record today a little bit, I guess, for that.

Scott Meyer:
Oh man.

Andy Johns:
But Scott's group, the Innovative Systems, has just published a
2024 Rural Broadband Streaming and Social Media

study. And, Scott, I guess before we get too far into it, just
tell us a little bit why?

Because the reason I like to have you on is because this survey
is targeted so perfectly for the folks in this room.

Tell us just a little bit of the basics.

Who are you studying in this study?

Scott Meyer:
Sure. Great question.

So for nine years, we've been studying rural zip codes only.

Historically, the urban and the metropolitan markets get most of
the traction when it comes to research like

this. But we decided a long time ago, hey, these are our
customers.

We want to know what their customers are thinking about, how
they use these services that you provide for them.

So, we do, 800, about 800 to 805 respondents.

That's what we had this year. I can't remember the exact number.

And our research firm says it's a plus or minus 3% margin of
error.

So it's fairly well validated and reasonably accurate.

Andy Johns:
Excellent. Wonderful. I want to get into it.

I did, even though it's highlighted in big font here, i missed
it somehow.

I do need to say this live podcast today that we're recording in
front of a live studio audience.

Here at the StoryConnect Conference in Hood River, Oregon.

These are sponsored by Meridian Cooperative, and we are thankful
to have them on as a sponsor.

So the interesting thing to me, Scott, the kind of top line,
this is the second year in a row – you've said you've been doing

it nine years – and for the first, what, seven [years] price was
the king when it came to what people, you know, the

concern that people had about rural broadband.

But the last two years, that has not been their chief concern.

Scott Meyer:
That is correct, Andy.

And let me frame that up. So we ask a question, rate how you
feel about something on a 1 to 10 scale, with one being your

least satisfied and ten being your most satisfied.

So we take those people who rate seven or below as people that
aren't quite as satisfied.

And for year after year after year, and you've probably all done
this yourselves.

When you give somebody a chance to complain about something,
usually their number one complaint is going to be price.

Well, for the last two years, this question came back with the
number one complaint with broadband, the least happiest ones, was

the consistency of speed and the quality of what they're getting
for their service.

And price was number two.

So really, I think that's telling because we are in a situation
where now this broadband is becoming something that is so

essential that it trumps out price as far as importance.

Andy Johns:
And I think we could draw some direct lines to what's been going
on in the world the last couple of years with Covid and all that.

So many remote workers.

I mean, I'm sure that's a lot of what's contributing to that
reliability being the most important thing to them.

Scott Meyer:
Agreed.

Andy Johns:
Yep. Another piece of the survey that came out is bundles.

And I think that's interesting. You know, bundles is something
that were really in vogue, you know, ten years ago when you

bundle your phone and your television and your broadband all
together.

It's not talked about as much anymore, but I think it's
important from a competitive standpoint as well because people

still like bundles.

Scott Meyer:
That is correct.

And, you know, there's been this move to unbundle for quite some
time.

That's really, as you said, has been kind of the trend.

But one of the situations that we ask is those who have video,
60% of the

people that have a video product, also have the same company as
their internet provider.

And so the situation comes up with a lot of you, and some of
you, may be going into new territories, maybe you got money

for whatever reason, but you're going in with a broadband only
play.

What we have found, and we have customers that have actually
told me this personally, is that they did not get the kind of

take rate that they expected because the competitor they were
going up against had both.

And so to try and pry them off of one service and take another
service and have two bills is not necessarily attractive for

them. And they keep what they have.

Andy Johns:
Got it. Speaking about video, let's jump into that for just a
minute because it's kind of muddy.

There are, I think you said, there are more and more streaming
providers getting into the game.

And we're clearly in some kind of a transition away from linear
video to streaming platforms, but it's still a little muddy as to

what exactly is happening right at this moment.

Scott Meyer:
It is. People get kind of confused, you know, especially how – I
mean, some people don't care how they get it.

They just want to watch it.

And so it's causing our data to become a little bit, I don't
know, cluttered because, for

example, we have about 200 video operators that use our products
in North America.

And of those 200, I think 110 of them are either in the process
of or have already converted their full lineups

to streaming.

So a lot of times people don't necessarily make that connection
between streaming and IPTV, analog cable,

so on and so forth.

So, to your point, the waters have become a bit muddied in that
respect.

Andy Johns:
One of the new pieces on the study this year is y'all were
looking at social media.

That was something that y'all had not gotten into before.

What were the takeaways?

It sounds like based on the study, no matter what other
platforms are getting a little bit of traction or maybe a lot of

traction, Facebook is still the the 800 pound gorilla in the
room, it sounds like.

Scott Meyer:
That's true. So the question, I'll just give you the question
that was asked, and we had 801 respondents.

The question was "Which of the following social media
platforms/sites do you or others in your household use/visit, if

any? Check all that apply." So 80% checked off Facebook, 72%
YouTube, 48%

Instagram. And I'm not surprised by this.

Some may, but the number four is TikTok, which could conceivably
be illegal sometime soon.

But it's really the fastest growing social platform, at least
starting from not a whole lot within the last couple of years,

moving into that number four position.

Andy Johns:
And what percentage, what were the percentages on those?

You said that Facebook was 80%.

Scott Meyer:
80, 72% YouTube, 48% Instagram, and 40% TikTok, followed by
Snapchat, Pinterest, and

then they just kind of go down the line.

Andy Johns:
And did you have it, I don't want to put you on the spot, did you
have a little bit of the demographic breakdown on that too?

Is it like we would think with, you know, the younger TikTok
skews a little younger?

Or what are you seeing there?

Scott Meyer:
Yes, actually.

And just kind of take a quick time out.

I do have a copy of the executive summary for anybody out here
that would like it.

So we'll get my email, and I do have cards here so you can
approach me.

I can give you one of my cards.

You can just send me an email, and I'll send you a free copy of
that.

It's about 18-20 pages.

So I do have the breakdowns on that.

But I can't really, I can't speak to that.

The younger like 18 to 34s are definitely more skewed towards
Instagram

and TikTok and YouTube.

In fact actually YouTube, that younger demographic that's the
strongest platform that people are going to.

Andy Johns:
Interesting. Last thing, last area I want to go to here.

One of the things you guys asked about is communication
preferences with their broadband provider.

and that was interesting to me.

I don't know if that's one y'all had asked before, but how were
folks saying they want to be contacted and want to be

communicated with from their?

Or what was the exact phrasing of that question?

Scott Meyer:
Well, we've done it two years now.

So the question was, "If your internet provider announces a new
product service or new information about existing

products and services, how do you prefer to be notified?" And
there was 800 respondents.

So this could fall into the electric co-op category as well,
easily because you have other things that you offer to your

customers besides electricity as we well know.

But number one is a separate email with single purpose
information, 45%.

Number two is text messaging at 38%.

And then it's followed down the line by eBill, digital
newsletter, hard copy newsletter, followed by telephone call.

And believe it or not, overall – now this does skew down
demographically a little bit when you break it out – but social

media is in the second to last place.

Now when you move it into the demographics, social media from 18
to 34 year olds, 23% would

prefer to receive social media, but still separate email, text
messaging is the preferred method of notification of new products

and services.

Andy Johns:
Interesting. So, you know, not necessarily all communication,
but that in particular, I think, is an important nuance there.

So well are there any other takeaways?

Let's wrap up with that. Anything else we didn't didn't cover
before we wrap up here that you would like to share with folks?

Any other takeaways from the study?

Scott Meyer:
Well, I really would encourage you to take this information if
you want, and

use it to help make your strategic planning, because it really
does give you a snapshot.

And we've been doing this for nine years, and the data has been
very consistent, and we feel that it's quite validated.

And use it and take advantage of what your customers are doing
based on this study, because this will help you to maybe be

better marketers, deliver messaging in a little more of
appropriate fashion to what your customers prefer.

Andy Johns:
Outstanding. Well, thanks so much, Scott, for joining me.

That has been Scott Meyer, the marketing director for Innovative
Systems.

This is our audience here at StoryConnect.

I'm your host, Andy Johns.

And until we talk again, keep telling your story.

Outro:
StoryConnect is produced by Pioneer Utility Resources, a
communications cooperative that is built to share your story.

StoryConnect is engineered by Lucas Smith of Lucky Sound Studio.