In honor of International Women's Day, here's one for all of you whose product or service is primarily for women. We've worked a lot with businesses who market to women and have seen a lot of mistakes being made. And as a women-owned business, 2nd Story has some insights on this topic. So here's some tips for how to speak to a female audience.
Don't Generalize
We hear so many businesses say that "women" is their target demographic. This is way too broad of a category. Specifically what women are you trying to reach - professional women, stay-at-home moms, single ladies? What is their age, job, ethnicity, sexuality, political views? You can't generalize that all women share the same interests and values.
Be Relatable
Women are not looking for some unidentifiable force to tell us how to spend our money. We get enough of that. Instead try being a trustworthy voice we can connect with. This can be done with a relatable story or message.
Be Aware of the Challenges
One good way to connect with women is to be aware of the challenges we face on a regular basis. And be willing to acknowledge what those challenges are - from unequal pay to being objectified to running out of tampons (yep, we went there). Let's not dance around the truth that being a women is hard!
Have a Positive Message
Everyday women receive about 10,000 messages telling us what's wrong with us. So if you want to stand out, try saying something encouraging and uplifting. But don't be patronizing. Be real, honest and positive. Not only is that more likely to get our attention, but we'll be more inclined to hear what else you have to say.
Don't Think Pink!
It's amazing how many products out there have a "women's" version, and all they did was make it pink and jack up the price. This is just insulting. Keep in mind that women are capable of being attracted to other colors. And for many women pink, is actually a turnoff.
Hopefully this gives you some ideas to consider for your next marketing campaign. If so, we'd love to work with you! Contact us to schedule a free initial consultation and let's take your business to the next level!