Women Marketing Guide - Independent Agent · majority of purchasing decisions in ... what they need to know to make a good purchasing decision. ... Health and safety of the family

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T l & St t i fT l & St t i fTools & Strategies for Tools & Strategies for Successfully Reaching Your Successfully Reaching Your

Female MarketFemale MarketFemale MarketFemale Market

Created for IIABA, Inc. 2012 All Rights Reserved

Targeting Women

There are 150 Million women in the U.S., according to the Census. And they don’t just control their y jown income; they also make the majority of purchasing decisions in their households.

And women come in all shapes, sizes, ethnicities and life stages. So learning how to market to this largelearning how to market to this large group is key.

Because of this, we have put together a toolbox of marketingtogether a toolbox of marketing materials as well as recommendations on tactics to effectively target this customer in your areayour area.


Women faccount for

85% of all consumer purchasespurchases

Sources: Newsweek, “The Richer Sex”, June 13, 2010 Female Buying Power, the She Economy,

June , 2010.


Women: The 51% “Minority”

Not only are women the majority of the population in the U.S. (51%), but they have made a lot of inroads in terms of economic power. In 35% of double‐income households in the U.S, wives now make more than their husbandstheir husbands.

They are also becoming more financially savvy. More than 70% of women have retirement savings, and they make up the second‐biggest group of home buyers, right after married couples.g p y , g p

Sources: Newsweek, “The Richer Sex”, June 13, 2010 Female Buying Power, the She Economy, June , 2010.


Life Goals

“Being healthy” and “being financially secure” top the list of priorities for U.S. women. They place more importance on them than men.

Having a fulfilling job is third, with numbers that are similarly important to their male counterparts.

They also care about having children slightly more than malesThey also care about having children, slightly more than males. And they tend to place more importance on religion than men.

“____ is very important to me”

Source: Time Magazine “The State of the American Woman”, October 2009


Marriage is Less Important to Women

“Being married is very important to me”

There are also some marked differences between the way men and women see marriage in relation to having a fulfilling life. Only 38% of men strongly agree that a

h f lfilli lif ith t iwoman can have a fulfilling life without marriage, compared with 54% of women.



Women More Accepted in the WorkplaceWorkplace

71% of men say they are more comfortable than their fathers with women working outside the home.

% f b h d f bl h h89% of both men and women are comfortable with the notion of a family in which a woman earns more than a man.

However, 69% of women think men resent women who have more power than they do; only 49% of men agree.

60% of men say there are no longer any barriers to women's advancement in the workplace

• But only 50% of women agree with that statement



Working Mothers are Broadly AcceptedBroadly Accepted

Working mothers are making more inroads at the work place. h h l f b l d hWith more emphasis on life‐balance, more and more they are

seen as equal contributors as other employees. This is especially true among women. The vast majority (84%) believe that working mothers are as committed to their jobs as women itho t children

Agree with statement: “Women with children are just as committed

without children.

Agree with statement: Women with children are just as committed to their jobs as women without children”


And Yet, People Hold on to Traditional Visions for Family LifeTraditional Visions for Family Life

In the 1970’s, the majority of children grew up with a stay‐at‐home parent; now fewer than one‐third do. 61% of women (and 70% of men) believe this has had a negative effect on society

51% of women (and 57% percent of men) agree that it is better for a family if the father works outside the home and the mother takes care of the children.

This can create a sense of guilt in working mothers WhenThis can create a sense of guilt in working mothers. When targeting this group, focus on how your product can make their family life better, or even provide them with more time at home.


Most Women Feel They Take On More, Even When WorkingMore, Even When Working

55% of women strongly agree that in households where both55% of women strongly agree that in households where both partners have jobs, women take on more responsibilities for the home and family than their male partners do. Surprisingly, only 28% of men strongly agree. Many men appear to not have a complete understanding of the household work their partners p g pperform.


Child Care Still Falls Heavily on WomenHeavily on Women

69% of omen sa the are primaril responsible for taking care69% of women say they are primarily responsible for taking care of their children. Only 13% of men say this of themselves. 40% of men say the responsibility is evenly shared.


Women are More Financially IndependentFinancially Independent

70% of women say they are less financially dependent on their spouse than their mothers were.



Reaching Women Can Be Hard

Women all o er the orld are b s Reall b s ! TheWomen—all over the world—are busy. Really busy! They juggle a lot: homes, children, marriages, jobs, cooking, cleaning, etc.

A female consumer has a complex ‘‘web of duties’’ that makes her less than readily available.


Different Key Values for Different GroupsDifferent Groups

Identify the group you want to target and tailor your product and message to their lives, and keep in mind these groups have different needs:

Single women, no children

Single women, head of household, with children

Working women (both moms and childless)

Stay at home momsStay‐at‐home moms

Home‐schoolers

The more you know about your target, the better you can tailor your approach to reach them.


Marketing Tactics for Reaching WomenReaching Women


First Narrowcast

Don’t “Broadcast” – instead “Narrowcast”. Define what kind of woman you want or need to reach. Analyze your market and find out what type of women is your ideal target. Are you interested in:

• Mothers or childless women?

• Single or married women?

• Professional women or those who stay at home?Professional women or those who stay at home?

Do your research and you will be much more successful with thithis group.


Secondly, Craft Your Message

The next step is to craft a message that will resonate with your target audience. What are women interested in? What does

t t l t t ? Utili h fi di t d lyour target relate to? Utilize your research findings to develop a message platform that will show them how your product or service is ideal for them.


Nationwide Example: Crafting Their MessageCrafting Their Message

Targeting Women With A Sense Of Humor

This is a great example that utilizes the imagery of romance novels, which many women like to read, to make a point about their product.their product.


Focus on Authenticity

Women want a marketing message to be ‘‘real.’’ They shun the overly airbrushed models and their perfect bodies in perfect swimsuits Don’t promise women the moon just tell themswimsuits. Don t promise women the moon, just tell them what they need to know to make a good purchasing decision.


Provide “Tools for Their Lives.’’

Busy Women Want Solutions, Not Just “Products”

Provide Solutions that Enrich a Woman’s Life

Show her how your product or service can help her:

– How it can save her time

– How it can make her life easier

– How it can giver her peace of mindHow it can giver her peace of mind

– How it can save her money


Recognize Women’s AchievementsAchievements

GEICO is sponsoring the Miss Virginia Outstanding Woman of Achievement Award This award is for non pageant womenAchievement Award. This award is for non‐pageant women, ages 25 and up, who reside and volunteer in the state of Virginia. Nominees must demonstrate a strong commitment to volunteering and community service that impacts others in a positive wayin a positive way.

“Past national winners included former first ladies, Barbara Bush and Hillary Clinton as well as well‐knownBarbara Bush and Hillary Clinton, as well as well known

actress Sharon Stone.”

‐Mark Schreier, Director of Marketing for the Miss Virginia Pageant


Celebrate Women!

Liberty Mutual Insurance premiered three films featuring the stories of courageous women who embrace responsibility and i t h t th thi d l W i th W ldimpact change at the third annual Women in the World summit.

The film “Right to Play,” featuring U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist sprinter Allyson Felix, was screened at the summit.


MarketingMarketingGuidelines for

Reaching WomenReaching Women


Focus on How Your Product or Service Can Make Their Lives EasierService Can Make Their Lives Easier

Working is Stressful

When targeting working women, keep this in mind: 46% of working women report frequent stress, compared with 31% of non‐working women. So when targeting this group, concentrate on how your product or service can make their y plives easier.



Targeting Moms

When targeting mothers, always focus your message on what’s best for her family and their financial security, doing all that she can to ensure the well‐being of herself and her family.

Also focus your message on how your product or service can make her life easier (she has a lot of things to take care of!) and ( g )how your product or service can give her more time with her children.


Targeting Moms

Moms around the world share five core values:

1. Child enrichment

2. Health and safety of the family

3. Value

4. Time management

5. Simplifying life

Focus on these values when you are developing a marketing message for them.


Targeting Single Women, Without ChildrenWithout Children

With this group, it’s important to empower them, show them respect and that you recognize them and their needs Theyrespect, and that you recognize them and their needs. They often feel overlooked by advertisers. In a focus group, a participant shared her feelings as ‘‘They make us feel invisible.’’

R i h h i fi d i h h i li ‘‘W d ’ dRecognize that they are satisfied with their lives. ‘‘We don’t need to be part of a couple to be happy’’. Show them as such.


Targeting Single Women, Head of Household, With ChildrenHousehold, With Children

When targeting this gro p gi e her sol tions so she canWhen targeting this group, give her solutions so she can achieve success at single parenting. Also show empathy for all that they are juggling. Present her with solutions that will make a difference in her life or her family’s life and help her plan for the future Help her feel strong and successful because she’sthe future. Help her feel strong and successful because she s independent.


Targeting Working Women (Both Moms and Childless)(Both Moms and Childless)

Provide her solutions that give her more time for herself GiveProvide her solutions that give her more time for herself. Give her information that helps her make good financial decisions. Show empathy for her demanding schedule and the fact that when she goes home, there is still work to be done.


Targeting Stay‐at‐Home Moms

When targeting stay at home moms, make sure that you realize that, for them, it’s always “family first”.you realize that, for them, it s always family first . They want nothing but the best for their children. Make sure your message is child‐centric and family‐centric.


Targeting Home‐Schooling MothersMothers

Moms who home school their children are all about protecting family values, usually conservative values. They want to have th it f t lli t t f th i hild dthe security of controlling content for their children and keeping them from harmful influences that contradict their family values.


Messaging Do’s & Don’ts

Do portray Don’t portray

women as:

Feminine

women as:

Helpless

Sexy

Empowered

S iti

p

Slutty

Aggressive

WhiSensitive

Opinionated

Nurturing

Whiny

Bitchy

‘‘Your Mommy’’

Emotional

Collaborative

Hip

Weak

Indecisive

InappropriateHip

Smart

Inappropriate

Cold, unfeeling


Additional Don’ts

• Don’t do ‘‘anything that degrades women’’

– Overt sexuality skimpy clothing showing women as– Overt sexuality, skimpy clothing, showing women as sexual objects

• Don’t make light of infidelity

– Many ads targeted to men seem to give a ‘‘wink, wink, nudge, nudge’’ on infidelity, implying that it’s either OK or that all men would do it if they could get away with it. Most women find this insulting.

• Don’t showcase women as unintelligent, helpless or nags.

• Stay away from showing women in traditional sex rolesStay away from showing women in traditional sex roles.

– ‘‘Why is the guy never doing laundry? Why is it always the woman using detergent?’’


Social Media Guidelines


It’s About People!

Social Media is about people, not selling. Make your pages personal and show the faces of your employees. It’s OK to let their personality show!

It’s Imperative Today!

S i l di i t i th f t “ k f i d ” ith itSocial media is not going away, so the faster you “make friends” with it the better. You should , at a minimum, be active on:

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Start tweeting (on Twitter) and remember that:g ( )

— It’s all about content

— It should not be a sales pitch or promotional

Meaningful marketing has growing relevancy as our desire for i C i h i l iconnection grows. Connect with your potential customers via

social media and watch your business grow.


“Doing It Right” Example:Farmers InsuranceFarmers Insurance

Leveraging Their Human Capital

Farmers Insurance social media strategy revolves around involving their agents in social media and providing support so they can build their own networks.

Ryon Harms, Farmers Insurance director of social media, says people want to connect with faces, not products, on Facebook.

“For us, it really starts and ends with our agents. We've got 15,000 agents across the country through our core 30 states.”

f l— Ryon Harms, Farmers Insurance, Director Of Social Media


The Most Powerful Way to Tweet

Remember that most people don’t want to be “pitched” all the time, so keep that in mind when deciding what to tweet. The goal of your tweets should be to accomplish the following two things:things:

1. Become a resource and an expert for your followers

2. Develop a personal relationship with your followers

With that in mind, remember the following guidelines when using twitter.

B h l f lBe helpful

– At least 50% of your tweets should answer questions, respond to others’ remarks or share content

Be involved in helping or creating relationships

L h 10% h ld b i l diLess than 10% should be promotional or attempts at direct selling

Content doesn’t have to be original / self‐authored, as long as you credit the source


Develop a Social Media Plan

Start by Identifying Your Goals

You need to have a specific goal, just as with any other marketing plan. Is it to reach potential customers? Is it to inform current customers b t dditi l d t d i id ? H thi iabout additional products and services you can provide? Have this in mind when deciding what to post.

Develop an Editorial Calendar

You CAN plan ahead what you will be posting Develop a calendar ofYou CAN plan ahead what you will be posting. Develop a calendar of priorities and assign responsibilities to team members. Make sure to review it often to make sure strategies are still on target.

Note: This is independent of responding to “fans” and “friends”, whichNote: This is independent of responding to fans and friends , which needs to be done in real time, and could possibly alter your overall plans.

Posting Schedule

Once you develop an editorial calendar, you should determine the y p , yfrequency of your social media updates and blog posts. If you decide to create a blog, you can improve your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your website by updating it 2 to 3 times weekly; search engines like updated content. Develop a schedule, be realistic and stick to it.


Utilize Online Tools

There are several tools that you can use to help you manage your social media presence. The following tools can help you organize, measure and pre‐flight your content to save time:

– Hootsuite (http://hootsuite com)– Hootsuite (http://hootsuite.com)– Ping.fm (http://ping.fm)– BudUrl (http://budurl.com)

Example: Schedule Future Posting from HootSuite

You can schedule your postings ahead of time utilizing Hootsuite, and it’s free! They offer free accounts with limited features. You can also explore their premium features and see if it makes sense for you to make the small investment. However, the free account does allow you to pre‐schedule postings to Facebook and Twitter, so you can make sure you always follow your editorial calendar.


Manage Your Content

Keep Consistency with Your Social Media “Voice”

Bring your brand identity to the socialBring your brand identity to the social media realm. You need to make sure your tone and content align with your marketing goals, but remember it needs to be more personal.

Establish Internal Guidelines

Just because someone on your team is familiar with social media, doesn’t mean they should be your voice online. Make sure those who are dong the posting understand marketing basics A common mistakeare dong the posting understand marketing basics. A common mistake is to assign a person familiar with Facebook, Twitter, etc. to handle social media posts, but who is not well‐qualified to speak for the company. Be clear about what content is acceptable so that you are represented well.

Don’t leave it to chance. Provide your social media manager guidelines on what it’s acceptable to post. Give them categories of topics (examples: industry news, company news, news beneficial to clients, etc.) If you utilize Hootsuite, you can set it up so that you can approve the posts before they go livethe posts before they go live.

Also provide your social media manager with support. They probably won’t know how to answer every question, so make sure they have people they can reach to for answers. p p y


Integrate Social Media with Public Relations & Marketing InitiativesRelations & Marketing Initiatives

Always look for ways to integrate traditional advertising and marketing strategies with online marketing/social media for cohesive messaging. They should all be part of the same campaign. They should communicate similar messages and work together.

Examples of way to integrate traditional media and social media:

Add “Find us on Facebook” and “Like Us” to all communicationscommunications

Add Social Media icons to your website Press Room

“Repurpose” large articles, news, or PDFs into distinct elements. Break up issues into smaller individual blog posts with deeper insight for readerswith deeper insight for readers


What to Do if You’re “Flamed”

“Flaming” is when an unhappy customer writes negatively, harshly and prolifically about you on the web. This can happen on Facebook posts, tweets, blogs, etc. and it can spread like wildfire.

l d k h dd h ’Always respond. Make sure that you address the poster’s concerns. In order to make sure you respond the correct way, make sure that you:• Cool down before responding• Do NOT delete a negative post – this will only enrage the person

h h l ll f d ’who has a complaint. It will appear as if you don’t care.• Exception: delete post that are profane, racist, sexist or

otherwise inappropriate• Respond as if the person were standing in front of you in your

office• Take the conversation “offline” as soon as possible to resolve it


Social Media Do’s

Assign the development and implementation of social networking to someone interested in it in your agency

Stay with it – the more you use it, the more it works

Post tips, insider hints, etc. – give your knowledge away and watch your fans grow

Maintain the conversation

– Keeps readers coming back

– Establishes a relationship

There’s nothing worse than an outdated page

Remember that your customers expect you to be present y p y pin the online conversation

– Lack of presence is seen as uncaring, unresponsive

– Say something, even if it’s just to thank them for their commentscomments

Give it a personal tone

Not: “ABC Insurance celebrated our 10th anniversary”

But: “Check out our pictures from our anniversary party”But: Check out our pictures from our anniversary party

Be a real person and use real language

Remember that customers are most interested in comments from other customers


Social Media Don’ts

Don’t spam your customers

Don’t think it’s all about you it’s really all about themDon t think it s all about you – it s really all about them

• Examples of things you can do to

—Baby announcements for customers

—Congratulations for customers’ success

Don’t dismiss or ignore negative comments about your business on your own site or third‐party sites

Don’t be afraid to show some personality

Don’t be afraid to have some fun

— Example: agency that allows dogs at work often posts about what the dogs are doing

• The dogs are developing their own fans!

Don’t use insurance‐speak or corporate lingo in your posts


Women & Social Media

Women Rule the Social Web (Men Are Catching Up)

Women are extremely active in social media and they visitWomen are extremely active in social media and they visit social media sites in large numbers

• 54% visit social networking sites at least once a day.

• 42 million women in the United States participate in social media at least weeklymedia at least weekly

• 55% of Facebook users are female and the fastest growing segment on Facebook is women over age 55.

Source: Blogher, iVillage & Company Partners, 2009. iStrategyLabs.com, Jan 2009. eMarketer 2012.


It’s All About the Right Content for the Right Womanfor the Right Woman

Identify the type of woman that you are targeting and make sure your content is appealing to them.

Are you targeting moms? Remember to touch on their five core values:

1. Child enrichment

2. Health and safety of her family

3. Values

4. Time management

5. Simplifying lifep y g

Simplifying life is one that works for all working women. Remember to concentrate on how your product or service can make their lives easier.can make their lives easier.


Engage Women In Conversation

Women use social media for:

• Connection

• CommunityCommunity

• Creativity

• Convenience

In order to develop loyalty for your company using social media, you have to engage them in conversation. How to engage women in conversation?

• Listen to them

• Ask them questions

• Respond to their concerns

• Show that you respect them

Source: "Stimulating the Conversation with Women in Social Media. Aliza Sherman on Oct 17, 2009


If They Follow You, They Will Shop You!They Will Shop You!

They Buy From Those That They FollowFemale customers more likely to buy from companies they follow on social media: women tend to be more engaged on social media platforms than men, so companies trying to market to women could potentially find more success using strategies on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. However, all

d ff d b d f dwomen are different, and target customers must be identified for all successful marketing campaigns.

“First you have to know your customer and who you want to reach ” said Bonnie Kint er CEO of Women’s Marketing “Whoreach,” said Bonnie Kintzer, CEO of Women’s Marketing. “Who is she and how does she buy? What media does she see and what channels does she shop in all day long? Once you know that, you know where to focus.”

Give Them A Reason to Follow Your page

Provide them with powerful reasons to “like” you on Facebookreasons to like you on Facebook, things such as incentives and promotions so you can start building your relationships and converting them into customersconverting them into customers.

Source: From “Three Tips for Marketing to Women More Effectively”, InfusionSoft, August 2, 2012.


Consider Facebook Ads To Target WomenTarget Women

Target by Sex

Facebook makes it really easy to target women. Simply select the box for women and you are done!the box for women and you are done!

Narrow by Interests or Lifestyle

But go beyond that to make sure you reach the right kind of g y y gwomen for your business. Focus on lifestyle. Do you want mothers? Do you want single women?


Make Sure Your Website Rocks

Women do more online research than any other consumer segmenth h h fi d li• They trust what they find online

• They trust what others say

• They especially trust what other women say

Post Testimonials from Satisfied Women Customers

If you have happy, satisfied women customers, get a testimonial from them about why they like working with you and your agency and post this on your website. It costs nothing and means a great deal. Women place great trust in what other women say.


WomenMarketing Guide

Tools & Strategies for Successfully Reaching Your Female Market

Developed for the IIABA by McDonald Marketing, 2012


Documents

Women Marketing Guide - Independent Agent · majority of purchasing decisions in ... what they need to know to make a good purchasing decision. ... Health and safety of the family