3 Ways to Reach Women Consumers Online

Online marketing and advertising are heavy influencers of women consumers when making purchasing decisions, new research by Fluent and Influenster shows. What exactly are women consumers doing online, and how can your business best reach out to them?

1. Social Media

Social media is where it’s at for women making purchasing decisions. Influenster reports that 94 percent of women actively engage with brands online; 31 percent do so every day. More than 7 in 10 (71 percent) of those who follow brands on social media say doing so makes them more likely to make a purchase. By comparison, only 41 percent say the same about TV ads, 35 percent about print ads, and 26 percent about radio ads or billboards.

Which social site should you focus your efforts on? The Fluent study says Facebook is the most popular social media site among women, while Influenster says it’s Instagram. You really can’t go wrong with either–both sites are used by nearly 8 out of 10 women when interacting with brands. If you’re not sure how to maximize your Facebook Page, consider using a service that will manage Facebook marketing for you. Less popular, but still significant, are Pinterest (56 percent), YouTube (51 percent) and Twitter (43 percent).

2. Email Marketing

Email marketing newsletters are also effective at reaching women; more than half of those who receive email marketing newsletters say that it makes them more likely to buy from the business. Choose the right tools, and it’s simple to create an effective email newsletter for your business.

3. Online Reviews

Checking online user/customer reviews is the most popular activity among women making a purchase, according to Fluent. Some 39 percent of those aged 18 to 29 say they read reviews, and even among the 65-plus crowd, 32 percent check reviews before buying. Make sure your online reputation is spotless by regularly checking reviews—you can save time by using a monitoring service to monitor your online reputation.

Success Tips

No matter which of the 3 tactics above you’re using to reach out to women, keep these success tips in mind:

• Think mobile: When interacting with brands online—whether on a website, social media site or app–90 percent of women use their mobile phones compared to 53 percent who use laptops. Whether it’s your website, your social posts or your marketing emails, make them mobile friendly. And don’t forget about mobile marketing tactics such as SMS messages: 72 percent of women who sign up for mobile notifications from businesses say the messages make them more likely to buy.
• Offer deals: Women primarily follow brands on social media to learn about discounts and promotions.
• Post photos: Photos are the most popular type of post, even surpassing video.
• Use promoted posts, but craft them carefully: While most women (67 percent) say they don’t mind promoted posts that provide new information about the brand, a whopping 91 percent dislike promoted posts that seem “spammy.”