Think Multicultural

As FH Hispanic Plaza says, nothing says you’ve arrived like somebody trying to take advantage of you. Hispanics have their very own Hispanic-targeted email virus.

I finally had a chance to read through the November 2007 eMarketer Report: “Gay and Lesbian Internet Users:The GLBT Community.”

First off, if you are at all interested in the GLBT community, this report is a must-read (I know, it’s $695 - but well worth it).

The 20 page report pulls together a lot of different data and research on the Gay and Lesbian community, both in general and in relation to their Internet activity.

A couple of overall statistics regarding this market include:
- The GLBT population stands at 15.5 million
- The GLBT market has an annual purchasing power of $660 billion

In terms of the Internet, a couple of key statistics stand out:
- There are 11.5 million adult GLBT Internet users
- Internet penetration among GLBT adults is about 10% higher than for the U.S. population in general
- GLBT Internet users spend 57% more time online than heterosexual users

While I am sure none of these statistics are surprising, a couple of key themes emerge about this community and the Internet:

1. GLBT Internet users are experienced and have fully embraced most aspets of Web 2.0 (blogs, social networking, etc.)

2. The GLBT community has plenty of choices in terms of media and social media that cater to their specific interests

3. Gay and Lesbian consumers actively research , are sensitive to, and are influenced by whether a company is gay-friendly

4. Authenticity, in communicating and showing a commitment to the GLBT community is paramount

All the data, and more importantly, the insights that can be gleaned from the numbers, point to digital media is an integral medium to market to GLBT consumers (and businesses). Considering the importance of perception and authenticity in this community, I would argue that carefully developed social media programs can yield strong results.

If you have any insights or thoughts on marketing to the GLBT community online, we’d love to hear them.