When doing the research on how to start a business, sometimes we identify a conflict of interest. Likewise when we have a product to market, we need to make sure that it is tailored to the right niches. Experience has shown that running women-oriented businesses will dictate how we promote products to lure them. But there can be some cardinal sins when it comes to marketing to a female demographic, especially in the modern age. So with this in mind, what can we do to make sure that we go about it the right way?
Avoiding Generalized Messages
It’s so easy to create one type of message and think that it will resonate across the entire spectrum. Of course, there are exceptions to that rule. Some companies promote pink vitamins for women that exclusively deal in that typical pink and others really go for the feminine image. And while pink isn’t something that makes it automatically appropriate for women, sometimes it’s important to remember that we all want a particular approach that doesn’t cater to us as individuals. It is such a hard line to tread because there are going to be demographics that wear pink, and more feminine colors may work better. But when we start to narrow our demographic and see that a message that leans towards the stereotype works, this is when we take the opportunity to go down that route. This means that we’ve got to make sure that we do our demographic research first. There is no point in going for the cliches thinking that you are going to hit the target right away.
Focusing On The Cause
This is, again, where research comes into its own. Women can reinvest a lot of their income into communities and families. A report done by Ernst and Young discovered that 90% of women reinvest their revenue in comparison to men who only reinvest 30%. When you start to focus on the cause with regards to the community and then link it in with the product, the result is a far stronger message to appeal. It’s not just in relation to promoting the brand for a good cause, such as minimizing your carbon footprint, but it’s about going back to the inherent needs and emotions stirred up by a specific product. The customer is an active part of helping your business to do better and fight for specific causes.
The C-Word
Content is always king, and this means that we’ve got to get our content greared towards the right demographics. A study has shown that 30% of women won’t read content that doesn’t inform or entertain. And when we start to dig deep into the topics that stimulate conversation, marketers need to make sure that we write content that speaks to a particular audience. This goes back to the idea that we shouldn’t just generalize or cover everything with pink. If it’s necessary and it works then it’s fine, but we have to make sure that we are on the side of caution and not patronizing the audience.
Marketing to women is the same as marketing to a BAME group or any sort of minority. This means that we’ve got to tread carefully.
