More Women Getting into IM

[Quentin]

Over the last few months I have noticed a lot more women in the various forums I visit and many of them doing quite well so maybe these stats are true.

SHRINK THE US INTERNET WORLD

Okay, now lets shrink the Internet world and take a look:

If 100 people were using the Internet, 52 of them would be women, and 48 of them would be men

If 100 women were doing business, 61 of them would be doing it on the Internet and 39 would not be

If 100 men were doing business, 55 would be doing it on the Internet and 45 would not be

If 100 women were spending over US$100 in a 3-month period online, 63 of them would not have children, while only 52 of them would

TAKE NOTICE:

There are more women now on the Internet than men

More women do business online than men

More women do business online than do not

Women in American make up to 80% of purchasing decisions for the family

Women between the ages of 35 and 44 are a dominant e-retail force. (PC Date-Online's research)

Women without children are heavier users of the Internet than women with children (Jupiter Media Metrix) and they spend more online

And -- according to Nielsen NetRatings, the number of at- home female Internet users in the US is increasing more rapidly than the number of male users.

PLUS -- according to the latest NielsenNetRatings, individuals with household incomes ranging from $100,000 to $150,000 are the fastest growing income group online.

PLUS -- 44% of US adults over 18 are single, and the American Association for Single People projects by 2010, 47.2% will be unmarried. The Census Bureau says between the ages of 15 and 85, the average American will be unmarried more years than they're married.

GET POSITIONED

Whatever you're selling, are you pitching it to women?

Whatever you're selling, have you included products for women?

This doesn't mean you need be clueless or artificial - slapping a "feminine" graphic next to your power tool, but it does mean if you're pitching your power tool with a bikini-clad babe, or showing a pert young thing for your "live chat", or alienating the huge singles' and Islamic markets in your Christmas marketing, D+ for you on your marketing emotional intelligence test.

Consider putting the face of a virile young man on your chat graphic.

And consider that nearly half your consumers are single

THE BOTTOM LINE: Put your dip stick in your gender-pool and see how it comes out.

What are your thoughts?

[WinsonYeung]

Hey, where do you get these stats from?
From what I see in warriorforum, the percentage of male compare to female is outnumbered.

[Quentin]

Yes it is however I have been in here nearly 10 years and it is changing quite rapidly over the last year.

Q

[MizzCindy]

Anecdotally, I can second this. I belong to several mommy forums and I have seen a rapid increase in the number of women doing business online and an increase in their 'savvy'. They are more aware of scams and shady selling practices.

Another thing to consider. A lot of these communities are very tight and very vocal. If you get a blackmark against you, it'll be broadcast far and wide across a variety of forums and social sites. Word spreads very quickly amongst the online mommy crowd, so be wary of that fact.

Finally, for you folks with bikini-clad babes next to your products or a very narrow male perspective in your sales copy or content, be warned. Lots of women are out there buying products for their husbands. So while your typical product user may be male, it may not be the male in the household actually doing to purchasing.

I've seen it over and over where a wife will come onto one of the forums and say something like "I'm shopping for a XXXXXXXX for hubby, but I refused to buy it from XXXXXXXX-widgets dot com because of all the half naked women on the site. I'm not giving my money someone using that kind of sexist crap!" Believe me, that is a real response (although paraphrased).

Marketers take heed. Don't alienate prospective customers with your choice of language or graphics unless you deliberately intend to do so.

Cindy

[GuerrillaIM]

Recenlty I have read in several places marketers recommending people to pretend to be women in forums and when link trading as you tend to get treated better and get better results.

I have to admit when I see a foum member with a smokin hot pic I do feel suspicious whether they are genuine or not.

PS my pic is really me of course

[Mary Green]

This is great. I love meeting other women in IM, I have always felt women and men doing IM can be so different. The ways we think, the ways we take action, etc. This is awesome.

[Ross Dalangin]

I think it is really because they are affected with the recession. More husbands are struggling to make money that is why they are helping them or they just want to help their husband in order to make it organized or to be focused or not to be way too far to the knowledge of their husband or maybe it is the trend. Just an opinion. What do you think?

Ross

[JaredKels]

I got my girlfriend into IM and she quit her teaching job. She loves it so much! I cant get her away from the computer now

[Elvin Tiong]

Wow, I slightly shocked to see the stats. I think that there are more men in IM. I better update myself already.

[ShayRockhold]

Originally Posted by Quentin

If 100 women were spending over US$100 in a 3-month period online, 63 of them would not have children, while only 52 of them would

**snip**

What are your thoughts?

I think that equals 115 women. (Or maybe I just need more coffee. )

[airbusbarkley]

I think an Internet Marketer is perceived as a male dominated field much like being an Airline Pilot is. My favorite response to the question asked of me about being a female and being an Airline Pilot is "the airplane does not know the difference between a female and a male, just if your good or not." The same applies to an IMer. ;-)

[ShayRockhold]

From what I have seen personally, many women are beginning to realize that working online/IM is the way to go.

Many moms who have been working a party plan business or a NM biz are now seeing that IM can offer more flexibility and a faster income.

This is a HUGE niche MMO market - moms who are currently in a party plan or NM biz.

Why? Because of several reasons.

1. They are already working from home. They understand the whole "self-employed thing."
2. They are already used to investing in their business. It is not unusual for a WAHM to spend several hundred dollars on brochures, catalogs, samples, hostess gifts, supplies and more - and that is before she has made her first dime. Plus, whenever her company changes anything - catalogs, packaging, etc. - she has to discard the old stuff and buy new stuff. This is at least 2 - 4 times per year.
3. It is not unusual for a WAHM to invest up to $500 (or more) for a "starter kit," - so shelling out $37 for a guide to work from home in IM is no big deal.
4. Once you point out that for less than the $200 she was going to invest in supplies for her party plan biz, she can invest in IM and get a quicker, easier ROI, she will be thrilled.

I love this niche.

There are many women who are quietly working under the radar making money.

[misterwrecker]

Just to clear something up....He is not saying there are more women in IM than men, he is saying there are more women that are online than men. Just like there are more women in the US than men, I don't know about the world figure.

[barbdear]

Well, I sincerely hope that there are more women getting into the IM industry, because on these forums, I usually feel like a soccer-yoga-mom who accidentally wandered into a frat party.

[Alexa Smith]

Originally Posted by WinsonYeung

Hey, where do you get these stats from?

Yes, that was exactly my first thought, too.

All interesting stuff, but the evident falsehood of one or two of them is making me question the rest. Sorry, just a quick, honest reaction!

[GarrieWilson]

If you take 100 people who do webcam shows for money, 98 of them will be women.

Women have been in IM for a long time. You just didn't know where to look.

But yes, in the make money niche, more are coming in. It's no longer the "boys club" it was 10 years ago.

[MikeGriffith]

Thanks for those stats. I have never really given much thought to internet demographics. It's very interesting and somewhat surprising.

[Kay King]

The source of the stats is in the original post.

Drawing demographic conclusions from viewing one forum with a specific focus - "make money online" - won't work.

Besides - when you are talking to a forum name, how do you know the gender unless they tell you?

Women are pretty smart - they just waited till the men put in all those long hours getting the kinks out

kay

[Jillian Slack]

Originally Posted by Ross Dalangin

I think it is really because they are affected with the recession. More husbands are struggling to make money that is why they are helping them or they just want to help their husband in order to make it organized or to be focused or not to be way too far to the knowledge of their husband or maybe it is the trend. Just an opinion. What do you think?

Ross

Could be true. It's always a possibility.

However, you've got plenty of us who:

1. Have been in this long before the recession began

2. Are the heads of our households and do not rely on a spouse's income

3. We are not "helping" husbands -- this is our own gig.

[sebritt]

Yes, I agree that a distinction needs to be made here re: numbers of women using the internet vs the numbers of internet marketers who are women. I also agree that the number of women internet marketers is rapidly increasing...there are more of us out there than most folks believe.

And yes, many of us are IMers and support our families, not just helping out husbands who happen to be out of work.

[Michael Silvester]

Hi Guys,

I have noticed that alot of my "Niche" products
are purchased by women. I think more women
in the Internet Marketing Arena will make the
world a better place.

Plus, I hate Sausage Festivals

Take Care,

Michael Silvester

[kf]

Kay - Are you saying men are kinky?

Originally Posted by Kay King

- they just waited till the men put in all those long hours getting the [b]kinks[/] out

kay

[kf]

Not to mention that the air 'ship' is also a 'she' ... she probably prefers us! In my (limited) experience - and not to throw wild generalizations around - but we certainly approach her with more respect.

Originally Posted by airbusbarkley

I think an Internet Marketer is perceived as a male dominated field much like being an Airline Pilot is. My favorite response to the question asked of me about being a female and being an Airline Pilot is "the airplane does not know the difference between a female and a male, just if your good or not." The same applies to an IMer. ;-)

[hangtimenino]

i dont think we need statistics to prove that women and spending more than men. its pretty obvious that women shop more than men. lol