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Is There an Internet Marketing Gender Issue?
I’ve been reading Lynn Terry’s blog for a long time now and every now and then she brings up the issue that seems to float around on the internet.
Some people believe there’s a ‘good ol’ boys club’ of men internet marketers that appear to lock the women out and prevent them from achieving the same success.
It’s an interesting discussion and a very valid one because it really appears as though the most successful of internet marketers are men.
If that’s entirely true I don’t know. Maybe the women are out there making millions like the men, but they’re just doing it quietly.
Here’s what I know for absolute certain:
The only person responsible for my success is myself.
I truly believe I can have anything I want, if I can just get up the guts to go grab it.
As women we need to stand up for ourselves and take matters into our own hands, we can’t blame men.
It’s our responsibility. I believe women tend to not just go for it without second guessing themselves at every point along the way. We ask ourselves questions like:
- Am I smart enough?
- Am I good enough?
- Am I pretty enough (for the stage)?
- Am I thin enough?
- Do I know enough?
And I’m not just talking about ‘other people’ here. I’ve asked myself these questions and struggle with getting up the confidence to just go for it.
I went to my first real IM seminar a few weeks ago and I can tell you when I saw the entire lineup was men it made me wonder why – why aren’t there more women speaking here? My first thought wasn’t because the men were shutting the women out. What it felt like to me was that men market very differently from women and rightly so – we ARE different (ya know – men are from mars, women from venus kind of thing). I learned a lot of valuable things at the conference, but I do feel I would have related more to women from a marketing standpoint.
Do I blame the men there or any internet marketing men for that – not in the least.
Did it make the information I learned any less valuable – of course not.
We need to put away that pre-programming to be all things to all people and just go for our goals and do the best we can as women, on our terms, and with all guns (ya a boy thing) blazing!
I totally agree with Lynn’s comment here:
As I said in my original IM Gender Debate blog post, I’m concerned at how the debate itself will affect our industry.
Let’s focus on building a strong internet marketing industry that includes men and women with their own unique skills and talents – that’s really not just a dream and if you look you can see it’s happening as we speak.
Here’s Lynn’s post and more details on the Stompernet part of it.
Here’s someone else’s opinion (couldn’t find a name!)
So, what do you think? Is there EVEN an IM Gender Issue?
About a year ago (when I quit StomperNet) the StomperNet members and Andy bashed a woman who had gone out on her own…
The bashing was just short of a public stoning
Was it gender related? Maybe not… but this successful woman had contributed her time, knowledge, and advise for quite some time (for free) and it certainly seemed a tad unfair to beat someone up for not being a “free resource” anymore, especially when StomperNet paid faculty (all Men) often promote their own products without retribution.
Maybe it’s the clique that Dr. Kangaroo refers to…
If you are subscribed to more than one list it easy to spot who’s in the clique… They only promote each other’s products, and it must be a requirement to do at least one mailing per product. Kern recently sent out one promotion email saying “I haven’t looked at this, but it probably good” sounds to me like he was “phoning one in”, just to fulfill his obligation
Is the clique a “good ol’ boys” club…?
I would guess yes… have you seen the pictures they publish from their trips to LasVegas… I have a feeling any women there are not their peers…
just my opinion
I have been studying up on gender trends in marketing and how gender issues in the workplace may negatively influence it for a year or so now – and I agree with your take, Angela. Every adult human can and should be responsible for themselves and their “gender intelligence.” Male/female thinking/managing differences can be incredibly powerful in their balance/combination. Industries/corporations lose a lot of opportunity if they go extremely masculine or feminine with their perspective or approaches. As consumers, the women’s market may be the guiding one, but that is not to say we should leave men out of it altogether. (that just isn’t how our society operates…)
I’m at this moment reading a new book that you might find interesting: “Leadership and the Sexes” by Michael Gurian and Barbara Annis.
One thing that will continue to help the situation is if women and men, like this one you and Chris for example continue to mull it over – in co-ed conversations.
I’ve spent the last 6 years in Internet Marketing. I agree with your point that it would certainly be great to see more female speakers at these events.
But I also agree that it’s up to women to promote themselves more. I’ve done a lot of research on gender differences, and in the workplace, women can definitely take some cues from their male counterparts.
Women are really good at promoting each other, but we need to start promoting ourselves and not feeling like we are being “boastful.” We need to stand up and take credit where credit is due. We need to share our ideas publicly and forcefully (think blogs, books, etc.)
I’m happy to say that in all my years in Internet Marketing I was only disrespected/discriminated against once. And it was by a client, not a colleague.
I’ve worked with many talented women in this industry and look forward to seeing more of us taking leadership positions. But to your point, it’s up to women to go after those positions.
I also agree with Andrea that we need more conversations betwteen men and women. The most successful engagements I’ve worked on have almost always involved a team of both men and women.
I agree absolutely. I believe that we only serve to make ourselves victims if we submit to the “women are ignored” argument. That isn’t to say that discrimination doesn’t exist, but for the most part (and for most of us) I don’t see that there is any injustice.
@Chris, of course there are cliques but they can just as easily consist of women. Again, I say move on. Show ‘em what you’re made of!
Thanks for the link Angela (I’m the one with no name
)
Thanks so much everyone for adding your thoughts on this topic.
I haven’t really been studying the topic so it’s great to hear from you after having spent time really looking into it.
I totally agree that women seem to think it’s too ‘boastful’ if they promote themselves and it almost seems like we wait for other people to do it for us.
Thanks Leanne for adding your name
, I’ll fix that in my line.
I found your link on Reba’s post (I love the way blogs keep our conversations so interconnected!). Great comments here too, and much of it mirrors my own feelings on the topic.
I’ll repeat here what I said at Reba’s place:
“I really do wish that more women would take the initiative and find out for themselves that the opportunities are there, instead of assuming that they are not.
Men tend to be proactive in business. Being proactive works for women too. If you want to accomplish something… just do it! Right?”
Thanks for continuing the discussion here. I have my reasons for taking an interest in the “debate” and enjoyed reading your thoughts.
“I really do wish that more women would take the initiative and find out for themselves that the opportunities are there, instead of assuming that they are not.”
Lynn, who are these women who are assuming such a thing? I’ve never come across them in the IM field. I don’t think “women” as a gender lack initiative any more than men do. And I don’t think that “women” as a gender assume that the opportunities are not there!
I believe there is no such gender issue in the internet marketing. Only one who are intimidated by people around her.