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Marketing to the Modern Woman

Written by Peter Devereaux | Jan 7, 2013 6:00:00 AM

Contrary to popular opinion, the ladies aren't just sugar and spice and everything nice. The modern woman is critical, calculating and a ruthless buyer, with money, power and influence to spend. If you're not developing a digital presence and marketing messages with the ladies in mind, you're missing out - and in a big way.

So how do digital marketers today, who more often than not (at least historically) tend to focus on creating and disseminating logical proofs and arguments (for example, our product and/or service is faster, stronger, cooler), capture the attention and investment dollar of this essential segment of the population? Is it even possible to present messages that women will be drawn towards, respond to, care about, and share? Yes, of course, but there are some important considerations to make and you may just need to restructure your Web/digital architecture and rethink your entire marketing campaigns and branding to succeed.

Marketing to the modern woman requires focusing more creative and development resources on making a genuine, meaningful impact on these users. Women need to feel as though an enterprise has placed them in control of the decision making process and is speaking with them as opposed to attempting to engage them in a one-way, "listen to us" style of dialogue. This will obviously require a significant shift for many enterprises, but adding more transparency and honesty to communication overall and providing a technology platform to let that happen can support customer acquisition and produce positive results regardless of gender. So, how do you market to today's modern woman on the Web?

Show them they're Important

It's not just women that want to feel important - we all do. When you are within a market that is focused more heavily on the female gender however, it's imperative not only that you say it, but that you show it (and not always with grand, sweeping gestures but also small, meaningful acts). The goal should be to let women know that your enterprise is ready and willing to spend its attention and resources on satisfying their needs. For example, does your enterprise have an ongoing email campaign to request feedback from users about their experience on your website after purchasing a product?

Be Bold; Make Promises you'll Keep

While men tend to like the sound of the steak's sizzle, most women are actually quite practical in their reasoning. Making a promise, a promise you can keep, highlights not only the boldness and stability of your enterprise but also sets the expectations for what's to come. Putting forth a message of stability is one that women will be drawn to and one that will make a positive difference in acquisition. Test landing pages with variations of your corporate promise to users to see what resonates and drives the most conversions. Merchants in particular should pay close attention to these promises and consider using one of the many qualitative testing services (https://bit.ly/9m7kfk) to gather feedback before going live.

Girls; They Want to Have Fun

The demands of the modern woman are immense. With little time to spare for themselves, they need to feel that their time invested with you will bring them more energy, more fun and provide a better quality to their life. If this isn't one of your guiding principles, you're missing out. The role that gamification plays on today's Web provides a perfect opportunity to offer a more entertaining experience. Start adding some game mechanics (https://wsm.co/KlNWEd) into your digital property and watch engagement metrics rise dramatically.

Women are in Control

Both men and women want respect - it's often how we pursue it that makes the difference and how marketers must adapt, react and change. Women are often the gatekeepers and the influencers, so marketing messages must reveal (not show) to women how to embrace, encourage and navigate your enterprise specifically.