#ShowYourPride: Engaging the LGBTQ+ Community Online
June 30th, 2020 by
This post was updated by Crysten Price on June 30, 2020. It was originally written by a Search Influence alumnus on June 16, 2016.
The LGBTQ+ community is a tech-savvy group with a proclivity towards online shopping. This community is a great audience to consider for ad spend targeting. They have always been early adopters of technology and online trends, with the internet functioning as a safe place to form communities and access resources that might not have been easily or readily available.
How to Make Your Biz LGBTQ+ Friendly with GMB
Google My Business (GMB) listings offer business owners a free platform to engage with their customers. Your business profile is easily accessible to users on Google Search and Maps. Join over 190,000 other businesses across the globe that enabled the LGBTQ-friendly attributes to their listing by following Google’s quick and easy instructions.
Keep in mind, to manage your business information in Search, Maps, and other Google properties, you must first verify your business listing. After your GMB listing is set up, you can explore other ways to welcome prospective LGBTQ+ customers:
- Request/encourage patrons to leave Google reviews highlighting your business as a LGBTQ+ friendly space.
- Add images of LGBTQ+ customers and travelers to your GMB profile.
- Use Google Q&A and Posts to let travelers know your business is inclusive.
If you’re new to GMB, use the following guide to claim your business online:
- Add or claim your business online or via the GMB app
- Verify your listing with the following:
- Requesting a postcard (most common)
- By phone call or text
- Instant verification (rare)
- After Google verifies your listing, your business information will be eligible to appear live in Search, Maps, and other Google services
LGBTQ+ Community and Social Media Platforms
When it comes to outreach, you can’t rely on a single, catch-all approach. Tailor your campaigns and messaging to subcommunities and audiences across different social media platforms to garner better reach and impressions. To be more specific, Black Twitter is an online subcommunity of Black users on Twitter focused on issues of interest to the their community. As you craft messaging to subcommunities, keep their online subculture in mind.
Similarly, on TikTok—a social platform widely known for viral dances—content is algorithmically recommended based on user preferences. “Gay TikTok,” or “Alt TikTok” is a subset of content geared toward LGBTQ+ users and their favorite queer culture trends and aesthetics.
Interacting with these users requires taking a step back from the mainstream. References to Gay TikTok culture can help you create more relevant, exciting content, that users will want to engage with.
Ensuring Authenticity Within LGBTQ+ Targeted Content
When posting to social media, consider whether your content fits within the interests of the LGBTQ+ community. If it does, use relevant hashtags or try engaging with influencers in the community. However, do your research to ensure that your messaging isn’t missing the mark or reads as inauthentic.
Users can quickly pick up on Pride-themed content that seems like a marketing gimmick. A 2019 eMarketer survey revealed that gay and lesbian respondents were more likely to patronize a company known for its LGBTQ+ friendliness; however, although subgroups of the LGBTQ+ community expressed that they were more willing to support businesses that promote inclusive ad content, roughly half of the respondents reported that they were “much more” likely to support these businesses. This could be attributed to the fact that ads featuring same-sex couples and relationships are sometimes perceived as marketing ploys rather than a genuine commitment to inclusivity.
When creating content, consider the aforementioned subcommunities and how to connect with them organically with authentic messaging that is inviting and kind.
LGBTQ+ Community and Mobile Usage
Members of the LGBTQ+ community are said to be mobile leaders, and when compared with their heterosexual counterparts, they are more likely to be considered technology “wizards.” Wizards are the consumers Experian Marketing Services has identified as those for whom technology is central to their way of life. This consumer segment, with high mobile technology adoption and usage rates, is an important target for mobile campaigns.
- Over 75% of the LGBTQ+ community under age 45 use their mobile devices for travel information.
- Among those who use their mobile devices, over 80% use their devices to find local restaurants, and nearly 60% use mobile devices to research local attractions.
- Online e-commerce continues to have strong traction with LGBTQ+ households, as they spend 35% more on online purchases each year than non-LGBTQ+ households.
- Research shows that gay/bisexual men and lesbian/bisexual women are 33% and 22% more likely than their heterosexual gender counterparts, respectively, to have redeemed a coupon on their cell phone.
Get Digital Marketing Help from the Experts
Identifying and targeting user groups of interest involves a robust digital marketing strategy, but you don’t have to start from square one all on your own. The experts at Search Influence can help you craft inclusive messaging that resonates with various target audiences so you’ll get the most out of any campaign. Schedule a free consulting session to learn how you can enhance your online marketing efforts with our recommendations.
Source Content:
https://www.experian.com/assets/simmons-research/white-papers/2013-lgbt-demographic-report.pdf http://communitymarketinginc.com/year-end-research-report-top-ten-2013-trends-seen-in-lgbt-travel/
http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2015/us-lgbt-shoppers-make-more-trips-spend-more-than-average.html
Images
