The Internet: What It Means To Your Lions Club

What is the Internet? Most of us know that the Internet is a large heterogeneous network of computers spanning the entire planet. But more than knowing WHAT the Internet is, Lions Clubs need to know WHO is using the Internet and how to best adapt and tailor their image for that demographic. In many ways we need to think of our Lions Club and Lions International as a business, a business that needs to attract new customers (members) and new sources of income (fund raising).

What is the Internet? The Internet is "People." To the business person on the Net, the Internet is not a network, it is a market. Like any other market, it needs to be studied in terms of human beings who will be economically impacting a business, your business, based on information provided in a corporate presentation. We, as a Lions Club, need to reach these people in a way we never have before: on the World Wide Web!

The following information is based on a November, 1995 survey:

Currently the Internet has over 48 million users with the minimum of an e-mail address.

There are over 155,721 unique hosts used on the Web. i.e (www.yourcompany.com).

The total number of World Wide Web users are 18 million.

The average age is 31 years old.

Gender proportions are 30% female - 70% male.

Estimated average income is $63,000 (U.S)

76% of respondents were U.S, 10% from Canada and Mexico, 8.4% from Europe

Occupational fields are Computer (29.1%) Educational (30.9%)Professional (20%) Management (10.2%) Other (9.8%)

Why people use the Web (79%) Browsing (64%) Entertainment (52%) Work (11%) Shopping

So, the general population of Internet citizens is comprised primarily of well-off, 25-30 something, educated, professional males and a growing number of professional females. This certainly sounds like our "market", a market we need to tap into in
order to continue to grow and serve our communities.

This is not to say that these are by means the ONLY people on the Internet. The Internet is one of the most varied and culturally diverse bodies on the planet.

This information should be considered as you decide to enter your club on the Net -- but remember, just as you cannot step into the same river twice, no survey about the Internet can exactly capture accurate information about its population. The Internet is constantly changing. These statistics represent only a snapshot of the Internet at a particular time.

There are many reasons to be on the Web. Here are thirteen just to get you started.

To Get Noticed

The World Wide Web is growing at a phenomenal rate and it currently boasts over 18 million users. No matter how you feel about the internet, the web or technology, you cannot afford to ignore this population. To be part of this community shows you are interested in serving not just your community but the global community as well. You must be on the WWW. You know other service clubs such as Rotary, Optimist, Jaycees, etc. will be online.

To Network

What if you could pass out information on your club fund raiser to thousands or even millions of potential people at once? Your web page is like a personal public relations employee, announcing "this is what we do and if you're ever in need of our services, this is how to reach me" to the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Check out The Mississauga Cawthra Lions Club fundraiser or The Cobourg Lions Club Art Show and Sales.

To Make Club and Lions Clubs International Information Available

Think of a normal Yellow Pages ad. It tells where you are located, what you do and how to get in touch with you. Now think of an automated Yellow Pages ad -- magical ink which changes your "Special of the Week" every Monday. Now imagine a copy of this magic Yellow Pages ad on the shelf of millions of people around the world. Imagine people across the country knowing they could find the latest information about your club - new members, exciting events, fund raisers, etc. at the push of a button... That's the World Wide Web.

To Serve Your Community...Better

It's not just about generic Yellow Page-like ads. If you decide to look even further at serving the community, you'll find even more ways to use WWW technology. How about making forms available online so that users can actually make comments, suggestions, requests from the comfort and convenience of their own home or office? Maybe add a search engine that gives information which would otherwise only be available contacting your executive, secretary or members. Let your users look at brochures, instructions, or other personalized information online. All this can be done on the WWW.

Heighten Public Interest

Currently, the Internet is enough of a novelty that local and even national newspapers are publishing the location of "interesting and unique" web sites in their pages. Newsweek's "Cyberscope" for example, highlights web pages, and articles written daily about innovative uses for the World Wide Web. What does this mean to you? Free promotion of your club and Lions International! But it's not just about the promotion that the news media offers. Remember that anyone in the world can access you site once they are connected to the Net-- and people will "bookmark" interesting sites and show it to other people. What better way to spread word of mouth to generate interest about your Lions International and your club?!

To Make Pictures, Sound and Video Files Available

So your club is great, but what if they could see it in action? The album is terrific, but what if they could hear it? The Web allows for different multimedia (audio and video) formats. No brochure or newsletter will allow you to do that.

To Reach a Highly Desirable Demographic Market

The demographic of the WWW user is often characterized as a highly paid, college-educated male. While this is predominantly (about 2/3 male, for example) true, you'll find that the demographics are changing. Still, surveys show that the Web is populated by people who are ready to ASKed.

To Answer Frequently Asked Questions

As anyone who answers the phones in your business organization can tell you, their time is usually spent answering the same questions over and over again. These are the questions potential members want to know the answer to before they consider joining Lions International and/or your club. Post them on a WWW page and you will have given these people the information they need to making an informed decision.

To Create a 24 Hour Service

If you've ever remembered too late or too early to call another time zone, you know the hassle. We're not all on the same schedule. Trying to reach Asia or Europe can be even more frustrating. Web pages serve you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And it never asks for overtime pay either.

To Make Changing Information Available Quickly

Sometimes you need to make changes to published materials. But what if you've just spent time and money on printing up the materials? Now you have a pile of expensive, worthless paper. Electronic publishing changes with your needs. No paper, no ink, no printer's bill. Correct mistakes and update information easily and without expense.

To Reach The Media (Public Relations)

The media is the most wired profession today, since their main product is information and they can get it more quickly, cheaply and easily online. On-line press kits are becoming more and more common, since they work with the digital environment. The North American press can be lazy sometimes; they're infamous for cutting-and-pasting online press-kit information right into articles. These can be made available on a web page for easier consumption - it saves them the burden
of typing your words into their stories.

To Serve Your Local Market

We've talked at length about the power to serve the world with a web page. But how about right in your neighborhood? If you are located in the Edmonton area, the Vancouver area, the Halifax area, Montreal or Toronto, there is a good chance that there are enough local people with Web access to make it worthwhile to consider Web promotion.

To Have Fun

The Internet industry is new, exciting, and constantly improving. This is the best time to take advantage of the amazing opportunities available online. Never before has there been a way to express yourself creatively and inexpensively and reach the incredible number of people that the Web makes possible. If you think surfing the net is fun, just wait till you start planning your own site!