THE INTERNET: WHAT DO AFRICAN AMERICANS REALLY WANT? (787 hits)

From BlackWeb 2.0
November 17, 2010

This is a question that Ifve tried to answer at several several times during my career and countless other media brands and entrepreneurs have as well. As the Internet becomes a part of the everyday lives of more people each day, The African-American audience has continued to pose unique challenges and opportunities. First letfs look at some key numbers

¡Less than 50% of African Americans have broadband Internet in their homes. As frustrating as that number is, it also presents a growth opportunity.
¡Mobile use by African Americans is outpacing any other ethnic group
Those two data points alone show we are both active and have huge room for growth. However what are we looking for the Internet to give us? People tend to say they want one thing, but data around which sites actually perform well tells a different story.

¡African-American oriented topics trend on Twitter more often than any others.
¡African Americans often speak about wanting diversity in their content choices but the lionfs share of us gravitate to gossip and entertainment sites.
¡African Americans often complain that black media brands are not giving them digital options, but when they do, they are received with less than stellar numbers. ( i.e. Ebony and Black Enterprise iPad apps)
So I ask the question. What are we looking for? Itfs important for us to answer truthfully because the digital divide is not closing. Actually Some signs point to the fact that a digital underclass is forming and I donft want it to be comprised of our people. So the answer is important for the black media brands who need to reinvent themselves for the future. It is important for the the entrepreneurs eager to successfully serve this market. More importantly, itfs necessary for the people who are in that remaining 50% percent who need reasons to adopt broadband and the Internet into their lives. They need to see the relevance and push themselves to take that step. So Ifm interested to hear from you in the comments. Letfs Go!
Posted By: Siebra Muhammad
Friday, November 19th 2010 at 1:30PM
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