Euro Gay
by Brandon Palmer
Take the French, for example - one moment they are lining up in record
numbers to attend EuroDisney, and the next they are bombing a local
McDonald's in protest of our genetically altered produce. In recent
months, these feelings have only intensified, as Europeans send us
mixed signals like never before, while Americans continue to create
intense controversy in a perplexing New World Order.
Getting a handle on the European mood is particularly challenging
if you're seeking to market an American product or service across
the pond. Obviously, European consumers are not the same as their
government officials, nor each other, and while citizens march in
the streets to fight American Imperialism, some of those same protesters
may be fighting for tickets to the premiere of The Matrix that very
night. If your product happens to be aimed at the adult gay online
sector, it can be even trickier to figure out what works and what
won't.
The online gay adult market is easily one of the largest overseas
segments, and can be very lucrative if you can tap into it. Some of
the most profitable areas seem to be gay niche sites of all kinds.
Sometimes an American gay niche site can have an unexpected success
in Europe, and it can be difficult to repeat the formula, since it's
hard to say exactly why it happened. For example, www.spyondad.com
took off like wildfire when they marketed their site to a European
audience. The site has a live cam that allows users to spy on a handsome
father figure. Who knew that gay incest fantasies would be so appealing
to certain sectors of the European market?
American Pie: Get Your Own Slice
One person who felt that American niche sites could have mass appeal
in Europe was Antony Ant, President of ATM Systems, which runs the
aforementioned site. "We figured there were so many cam sites going
after the general audience," says Antony, "that we would go after
the incest niche. We now reach far into the European gay market. We
reach England, Ireland, Greece, Italy, France, Germany, Japan, Taiwan,
Sweden, and Spain. It's important to target markets outside of your
own country," he explains, "because in the United States, once a fad
dies down, if you haven't started covering other markets, your sales
will eventually slip."
There is no blueprint for attracting the European gay user. It's really
about staying on top of the latest trends and expanding to new audiences
while maintaining your loyal customer base, all while conducting trial
and error strategies, which isn't an easy juggling act to perform.
"The old adage 'first to market, first to profit' stands true for
the Internet as well," says Antony, "and since not many other cam
sites were marketing abroad, we just figured that Europeans would
love anything from the American media that was enticing and daring."
If you can't be the first, you at least need to get their attention.
Enticing and daring seem to be the keywords when targeting the gay
European audience. Jack van Metre, owner and webmaster of www.bondagezine.com,
knows firsthand that Europeans love a little kink. "My world is that
of BD/SM," says Master Jack, "and I do think the market for BD/SM
products is huge. We have many men from Germany, The Netherlands and
England. Quite a few are from Switzerland, Spain, Italy and France,
and some other countries scattered all over Europe. It's a good market
for those who are willing to spend the time researching it and providing
a quality product. Our European customers are very faithful clients,
and many of them have been signed on with us from the beginning."
Kinkier or not, there is a much more relaxed attitude toward sex in
Europe, although no one knows exactly why that is the case. Many think
that it's simply a cultural difference, since Americans tend to be
more reserved and provincial about things like sex. In Germany, for
example, discussing water sports and scat with a stranger at a local
gay bar is unlikely to cause even a raised eyebrow, whether they are
into it or repulsed by the idea. Knowing these cultural differences,
at least in a general sense, is important, because it can dramatically
alter your site design choices, and ultimately your bottom line.
Been There, Done That
Along with more relaxed attitudes toward sex comes a certain level
of desensitization, which can make it harder to get noticed. For example,
gay fetish sex sites in Europe can be far more bizarre, and their
splash pages are often much more explicit than would normally be seen
on American sites - with several exceptions of course. The point is,
if you're going after a piece of the Gay European Pie, the images
used to entice sign-ups should generally be much more graphic than
those on strictly American sites, because Europeans are more used
to those kinds of images and have become somewhat blasé about them.
Content may be more explicit, but does that mean it's more lucrative?
It depends on the site and the audience, but many people feel Europeans
are more willing to spend money for online adult entertainment, and
they often have more options for doing so. "The most lucrative aspect
for us is the branding and name recognition," says Antony, "which
you build by targeting your niche abroad. From a profit perspective
it's been lucrative for us as well." But just as many Europeans would
rather see fresh American content than the stuff that they're used
to, it can be a little tricky finding your way.
"If you are just jumping in," says Antony, "go to your favorite adult
site, then go to a popular search engine in Europe and do a search
on them. See where they are marketing and see what results appear.
Remember, if you don't know how to do it yourself, emulate the success
of others. In my experience, American content will always sell in
Europe," he says, "Our models have a different edge, and it's not
what they're used to seeing every day. Our experience has been that
overseas they love all things American."
The Language of Love
Well, they may not actually love all things American, but many gay
users of online adult sites are looking specifically for American
content. If you think you're going to be lucky enough to catch on
in Europe with your existing content, you still need to address several
issues. There are payment concerns, local laws, and other things to
consider. "Buying European search engine placements is crucial," says
Antony, "and building European fronts for your sites. Also, you need
to be set up to accept the Euro easily and effectively."
Language can be a sticking point as well, to be sure. If your site
is inadvertently offensive, or so poorly translated that people actually
laugh instead of getting turned on, then you're doomed. It's almost
never good to use computer translation services, since they have no
way of capturing cultural and social nuances. Instead, spring for
a real-live, native translator if you can. Also, be sure to translate
the entire site whenever possible, since customers will feel misled
if everything is in English after they sign up, and you will lose
renewals.
Just remember, whether they love us or hate us, we can still sell
them our porn. "Just have a good product," says Master Jack, "and
define the market. Look at how others are addressing it and find appropriate
mediums in which to advertise. Many American businesses are successfully
selling their products and services online in Europe, including gay
adult Web sites." The question is, will you?
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