Oh hey! .Gay is Here... Our partners at Pink Media -- the company behind the #ILoveGay media brand -- this week became the very first live .gay site in existence...and it’s safe to say the gay internet will never be the same!
Over the years, we've had the opportunity to work with some incredible partners along the way. In the world of programmatic, digital ad buying, we were doing this in-house successfully for a number of years, but after we met Jeff Hastedt and his team from Brkthru Digital, we realized we had A LOT to learn about how to take hyper-targeting of the LGBTQ consumer via banner ads to a whole, new level!
Today we’re talking with Matt Skallerud, born and raised in LA. Matt is a gay entrepreneur, the CEO of #ILoveGay and he specializes in LGBT online marketing. Let’s meet him… Right now you own your own company PinkBananaMedia.com, dedicated in helping companies large and small reach the LGBT consumers online. How are things going with…
We recently contributed to an interview in Business Equality Magazine on behalf of the partnership we're a part of with Brand | Pride. The following are some excerpts from that interview that shine a spotlight on some of the unique things we're doing here at Pink Banana Media and the #ILoveGay Network.
In years past, when a client was looking to reach the LGBTQ community online, we would start with their ad creative and go from there, adapting and maximizing it to optimal banner ad sizes, both for the desktop and mobile, as well as e-mail newsletter sponsorships. If a client wanted a more robust campaign, we would then explore content, usually in the form of editorial, that could be adapted, edited and run on various LGBTQ websites online... Over the past few years, we have reversed this trend. We now start with targeting first, trying to understand WHO the client is trying to reach
Check out this 30-minute clip from our recent interview with the John Nash & Tim Bennett of the Focus Group Radio, where we talk about the power of social media, especially Instagram and Twitter, and how LGBTQ Influencers are leveraging these platforms for business. We also talk about other LGBTQ media and organizations using these platforms in the same way influencers are, including Pink Banana Media and the #ILoveGay network, bringing clients & businesses into the LGBTQ social media conversation.
Have you seen the trend where most media companies today spend all of their marketing time speaking about themselves? Take a look at their social media activity... is their main goal to simply drive traffic back to their website, and from their website, promote their advertisers? Or are they actively promoting their advertisers directly from their social media activity? The answers to these questions will help you determine which LGBT media company, blogger or influencer is right for you. Not only are you asking yourself if they're well aligned with your brand. You should also be asking yourself if they are bringing you, the advertiser, along with them as a partner on their daily journey, as they share, comment, like, post status updates, photos and videos.
Pink Banana Media of Matt Skallerud shares why marketing to LGBTQ people is so profitable and how doing so can help our community thrive even more.
Matt Skallerud's insight:
Wow!!!! Thanks Debt Free Guys for the incredible opportunity to talk about LGBT media, business and the ever-growing world of influencers. "Why speaking with people is more effective than speaking to people on social... Speaking to drives traffic via headlines, news clips.. Speaking with involves sharing, retweeting"
Check out some of our latest updates for June 2017, LGBTQ Pride Month around the world! We'll be in Southern California in June, both for Orange County Pride and to conduct a workshop focused on how to maximize your company's outreach on Twitter.
Matt Skallerud's insight:
Also learn more about our #ILoveGay Ambassador program, as well as other LGBT business events coming to the US and Canada this summer.
In this episode we discussed about the importance of technology and social media in accelerating the message of acceptance, the role #ILoveGay have played in LGBTQ travel and tourism space.
A lot has evolved over the years when it comes to LGBTQ online media. In this blog post, we take a deeper dive into the evolution of website traffic and where it comes from, ranging from bookmarked links to search to social media. We also explore social media engagement and how it relates to visibility across the various platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Forget the Past… Live in the Now - Many question why they need Pink Banana Media. When you hire us, you let your dollars do more for your goals. Instead of littering light poles with your company’s flyers or placing ads that air randomly, your personal or company brand will be shared with people in your target market within the LGBT community. Avoid guessing or crossing your fingers that potential customers will stumble onto your business’ name; Pink Banana Media offers targeted social media, online video, and programmatic advertising.
Anchors Media is all about business and spotlighting those who have met their goals in order to make a difference in society. Life is too short not to celebrate achievements small or large, right? We are in the midst of running a series, highlighting the importance of teamwork and the power of entrepreneurship. Without further adieu, we’re sharing Matt Skallerud‘s passion and how he became the President of Pink Banana Media.
Some of the latest updates from Pink Banana Media and the #ILoveGay network, including #VisitGayVA, our latest new ambassadors and LGBTQ influencers, as well as LGBT New Media programs including RawSexySpiritual.
Matt Skallerud serves as the President of Pink Banana Media, an online marketing business specializing in targeting LGBTQ consumers via content marketing, social media, programmatic ad banners, mobile smartphone apps and more. With two decades of LGBT online industry experience, Matt started his online career in 1995 with the launch of GayWired.com, which became one of the top 3 LGBTQ websites worldwide. Today, he empowers his clients to reach the LGBTQ market using the most advanced techniques taking hold in the online marketing world today. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Matt at the 2017 National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Conference in Las Vegas to discuss his business, being an out boss, and picking his brain on how the next generation of LGBTQ leaders can bring their whole selves to work.
We've taken some of the best parts of our most recent LGBT Destination Marketing Program with Influencers, and broadened its scope to include brand sponsorship, as well as corporate and small business inclusion, in social media tied to some of the top LGBTQ events happening around the world! We call it the #ILoveGay Twitter 360° Network Package!
Matt Skallerud's insight:
Events we'll have a team present at, capturing photo, video and blog content and posting via social media, include the upcoming LGBT Expo in NYC (coupled with the RuPaul DragCon New York) and World Travel Mart in London... In addition, if your organization is producing an event, such as a theatrical release, a Broadway production or perhaps a new product launch, this #ILoveGay Twitter 360° Network Package is for you.
We're going to go out on a limb here, stick our necks out, and make a strong statement - we believe the "TwitterSphere" is at a unique place in history, sitting on the edge of its tipping point. We believe it's sitting at that very same inflection point the Internet was back in the late 90's, when most people were accessing it via AOL, Netscape was the dominant browser, and a comment we heard time and time again was "the Internet is simply the CB radio of our time... it too shall pass".
Matt Skallerud's insight:
Fast forward to today, and with everything that's taken place since then, including the dot com bust and the subsequent growth of strong Internet-based businesses from all facets of life and industry, it's easy to see that doubting the direction and growth of the Internet was misguided at best.
We wanted to take this time to wish you all an absolutely wonderful and happy New Year! We look forward to both working with you, as well as connecting with you at some of the various LGBT business events happening this year, including our signature event LGBT Week NYC, produced in partnership with Community Marketing & Insights, and sponsored by Rivendell Media and Argentina.
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