Happy Women’s History Month! We continue to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of women throughout history and in the present. Today, women make up “85% of overall consumer spending to the tune of $7 trillion,” according to a 2016 study by Fluent, Inc., Wow! With a statistic like that, businesses have no choice but to consider tailoring their marketing towards women and at a minimum, understanding what women look for and need.
Tip #1 – Don’t make posts gender specific Dataman Direct Group found that 77% of women prefer to follow their favorite brands on social media, and Facebook is their preferred social network channel. It’s important to also note that 74% of women prefer marketing messages that are gender-neutral. So, marketing strategy number one, is to not specifically target women when you develop and plan your marketing, including your blogs and your social media posts. Part of that is making sure that you don’t overuse stereotypical colors and images. Be as inclusive and diverse in your content as possible.
Tip #2 – You are going to have to get out the pins! Let’s face it, Pinterest is here to stay. It’s every women’s free and indulgent online experience. It’s like perusing a mini-magazine. I get two minutes in line, I can sift through 20-30 images, and according to Pinterest, I am not the only one. They have over 275 million active monthly users, so they shouldn’t be ignored.
Tip #3 – Be philanthropic Females are known to be multitaskers. They like to be able to do two (or ten) things at once, so shopping isn’t any different. Shoppers love being able to get products and services they want while being able to make a difference in the world they live. If you can tie your marketing plan to a philanthropic cause, it has been proven to increase brand reputation, loyalty, and recognition. It can be as simple as donating goods collected from customers to giving time for every purchase or partnering with a charity.
Tip #4 – Ask To really know what women want, ask them. Connecting and listening to women is key to building any brand. You don’t even have to be perfect! Ask women for feedback and then genuinely listen and adapt. The cool thing about women is that they can be extremely loyal and communicative. This equates to them buying your products, selecting your services, time and time again. Likewise, women will then communicate to their friends what products and services they love.
Tip #5 - Perfection Women don’t want to see more perfect figures, perfect families, perfect anything. They, more than ever, are loving the characteristics about themselves and their lives that are imperfect; so instead, market to the realness of life and do it in an entertaining, humorous, and genuine manner and you will build you female customer base.
With women making 85% of the consumer decisions in a household, it’s important to recognize what women are looking for and what they need from services and products. Women should be celebrated this month and every month, and one way to do that is to steer your marketing towards helping them make informed purchases, that in the end, results in them being your new biggest fan!
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