In the past, attempts to unify straight and gay webmasters/programs resulted in a very low success rate. Webmasters or programs that did succeed in overcoming the boundary that separated straight and gay programs opened the doors for those in the business who were hesitant or uncertain. Some programs that began as straight sites now include gay sites and are well accepted in the gay porn community, bridging the gap between straight and gay and shedding that once-doubtful mentality.
What is the origin of this doubt? Is it a fear that straight men would be perceived as gay if they were to promote gay products? Possibly. Perhaps there are webmasters who just can't conceive of the idea of two men having sex. Mind you, I am not on a "homophobic, gay-bashing" protest, since homophobia has nothing to do with this viewpoint. I am simply saying there may be straight men who don't understand homosexuality. In this business, there are men who are proud to be straight, just as there are men who are proud to be gay. However, when it comes to running an online adult business, some standards should be discarded if one is to achieve the full benefits and success that come from offering products to a diverse mass of porn seekers.
It is more difficult for a premier gay site to promote straight products because its member base is gay and they have no interest in straight porn. But straight sites have the advantage of raising the level of promotions and sales by including some featured gay links that might appeal to those members who are curious enough to venture into the site. We all know that the majority of porn is viewed through the eyes of men who are straight, bisexual or gay. Interestingly enough, research indicates that about 50 percent of young adult men may not be telling the truth about their sexual orientation.
Another research study concluded that out of 64 male university students 55 percent were reported to be homophobic, 45 percent deemed nonhomophobic and all were reported to be heterosexual. In the study, the subjects were asked to watch some gay pornography while their penises were monitored for tumescence (the study of the swelling of sex organs). This method of determining sexual arousal and sexual desire has been widely used in treating pedophiles and to confirm whether therapy was eliminating the sexual arousal associated with children.
More than half of the homophobic men (54 percent) experienced definite sexual arousal with a 12mm increase in penis swelling. Another 26 percent experienced moderate arousal with a 6-12 mm increase in penis swelling. Twenty percent of the men experienced no sexual arousal. The study further revealed that nonhomophobic men responded with the following arousal levels: definite (24 percent), moderate (10 percent), and nil (66 percent). Based on these results, one might conclude that if these men are turned on by a little bit of "man-on-man" action, the obvious choice is to offer them a taste of what they secretly desire.
Now that the hardcore facts have been presented, you're probably wondering how to capitalize on this eye-opening information. Well, there are pros and cons relative to affiliates who market both gay and straight sites, some of which I've outlined below.
Some Pros
The gay market is an explosive
market that still needs
more exposure. Utilizing both
straight and gay content creates
balance for a program. If both
do very well, then the combination
of straight and gay creates
unity and provides the surfer
with a multitude of options.
Other programs may witness
this success and strive for that
same marketing scenario themselves.
This is evident when
you see many programs take
advantage of, or imitate, a unified
program, such as
TopBucks.
Some Cons
Those who attempt to incorporate
straight and gay sites into
their program should consider
that much research should be
done in order to successfully
accomplish this task. As they
read site descriptions, product
copy or blog text, surfers can
often tell whether a site was
designed or marketed by a gay
or straight person.
Based on my research and personal business knowledge, I encourage straight webmasters and program owners alike to implement a touch of gay action to their websites.
Juan Figueroa is a marketing and account manager for TopBucks.