The Fastest Growing Music Demographic Online is.... (It's probably not what you think!)

The fastest growing internet demographic for music sites is.... Teens? Wrong! It's the over-Fifties demographic.... And probably for many other areas of the 'Net too....

If you've read Remote Hypnosis, you know that you have to know your target audience.... Many ecommerce sites are targeting the teens and 20-year-olds, but it could be much wiser to target a different demographic....

What do you think.... do many web sites have it wrong....?

Dien Rice


Over-Fifties the fastest growing music demographic online....

Hi Dien:

> The fastest growing internet demographic for
> music sites is.... Teens? Wrong! It's the
> over-Fifties demographic.... And probably
> for many other areas of the 'Net too....

> If you've read Remote Hypnosis, you know
> that you have to know your target
> audience.... Many ecommerce sites are
> targeting the teens and 20-year-olds, but it
> could be much wiser to target a different
> demographic....

> What do you think.... do many web sites have
> it wrong....?

I've been doing some researching into the use of
MP3 files for a site I'm doing. I've spent hours and hours reading the Napster controversy.

The results of my research?

It agrees with your findings. A LOT of the 40+
crowd uses MP3's to hear the quality of the music and decide if they want to buy or not. Despite the howling of the Music Industry, music sales have shot through the roof since the arrival of Napster.

I'm sure a lot of people have "their own" opinions, but that's what my research showed me.
So... an MP3 area is under construction for a really neat site that I'm working on. *g*

As it turns out, assuming that the 20-somthings buy all the music out there may be *a little* off the mark. *g* They do buy music, but the 40+ crowd also (as a rule) is not on as tight a budget and are giving the younger generation a run for their money in the music shopping arena.

Just my two cents.
Linda Caroll




Your image - is my business

Hi Linda,

Thanks, that's an interesting confirmation...!

It seems that it could be much more profitable to target the "baby boomer" crowd than the youngsters in general (though of course, it probably depends on the product).... Despite the fact that many online companies seem to be mostly targeting the young crowd....

It's very useful to keep an eye on these things! If others are targeting the "wrong" demographic, that could mean an opportunity to serve a hungry market.... :)

Dien Rice

Hi Dien:

> Thanks, that's an interesting
> confirmation...!

I thought you'd think that. *g*

> It seems that it could be much more
> profitable to target the "baby
> boomer" crowd than the youngsters in
> general (though of course, it probably
> depends on the product).... Despite the fact
> that many online companies seem to be mostly
> targeting the young crowd....

> It's very useful to keep an eye on these
> things! If others are targeting the
> "wrong" demographic, that could
> mean an opportunity to serve a hungry
> market.... :)

True. Very true. Here's some interesting thoughts. Statistics indicate that, on the web, 85% of the profit being paid to affiliates.. which numbers in the millions... is going out to a select 10-15% of the affiliates in any given program. Seems, statistically speaking, the majority of the people are missing the boat somewhere.

To top it off, many people don't know "how" to target their market and do the whole process backwards. If I had a nickel for every person that told me "who" they wanted to target, I'd be rich. I always tell people that it makes much more sense to say "who do you appeal to - as in who wants what you have?.. and how can you find them?" Perhaps the lack of good direction in effective targeting is responsible for the stats in the above paragraph?

Then again, I took a course in the Psychology of Selling about 20 years ago and it made it's impression. *g*

Nevertheless, perhaps we need to see more of those
CDNow affiliates offering music geared to us boomers instead of the current rock? I now understand when my mother used to say "You call that music?" I say that to my daughter. Except... the difference is that the stuff I listened to was (and is) music... my mother is still wrong about that. *laughing*

Have a good one...

Linda




New... Ebook Covers!

> Many ecommerce sites are
> targeting the teens and 20-year-olds, but it
> could be much wiser to target a different
> demographic....

***Hey, Dien!

One of my favorite memories from the past year is coaching my seventy year old father over the telephone on simple computer techniques. Helped him get an "A" in his Community College course and it helped me to put aside forever my "I am not technical" belief.

My parents are both just getting into the whole internet experience. My Mom recently corresponded with one of my on-line friends for the first time ever, after she and Dad hosted a long distance runner from the UK in their home in Flagstaff, AZ.....all because of an online relationship between me and another Speaker.

My parents LOVE the internet. Dad is passionate about it! He has organized a reunion of his Korean War ship recently using the Internet as a tool to get everyone together. For Christmas I am building him his own website....pretty fun, huh?

The whole point is sometimes the most obvious is NOT where YOUR market is found.

Thinking about the symbol of the Sower...the Parable goes like this....he Spread his seeds far and wide, and some seeds took and some did not. Some grew strong and some withered away...which leads perfectly to....

> What do you think.... do many web sites have
> it wrong....?

Using the Sower analogy again, they perhaps have not done all the work of the Sower. They may have only done one step....spreading the seeds in one area....and perhaps that area which LOOKS on the surface to be fertile soil is actually clay one inch underneath....

One of the most powerful lobbying groups here in the US is the AARP...the American Association of Retired Persons. They are richer, have more time, and more clarity about their lives than they have in the past.

I look at my parents...my father is more content with his life than ever before! He is working still because he likes the human interaction, he plays with my daughters with patience he never had with me, and he has a heckuva lot more disposible income than he did while raising 6 kids!

Sound like a market to pursue? Sounds like terrific soil to plant in....

With Purpose and Passion,

JULIE




The House That Nancy and Joe's daughter built....