Advertisers Reach Women Through Social Media

Posted on | August 20, 2008 |

by Holly Buchanan

Where are all the women at?

This question has been asked for centuries by men. Now it’s being asked more and more by advertisers.The answer? The Internet.The Internet is proving to be the next great medium for advertisers trying to reach women. Websites targeting women are hot commodities, as are blogs and other social media properties. A recent New York Times article - Woman to Woman, Online - discusses the interest in tapping into women’s love affair with the Internet.

Advertisers are following the crowd, serving up 4.4 billion display ads on women’s Web sites in May, comScore said. That is more than for sites aimed at children, teenagers or families. “Moms are the decision makers of the household as far as purchases are concerned,” said Chris Actis, vice president and digital director at the ad agency MediaVest.

The rapid growth in advertising and traffic to women’s sites has attracted the attention of major media companies and venture capitalists.

Draper Fisher Jurvetson, a major Silicon Valley venture firm, sees so much opportunity that it has made several bets in the sector, including in Glam Media, a network of 650 women’s sites that draws more visitors than its rivals and has raised $114 million from investors.

Yup, there’s money to be made here. The Internet is definitely “where the women are at.” But I believe there’s another reason why marketers want in - they want in on the relationship these websites, and especially these blogs have with their female readers.

Look at the “wickedly funny” blog about motherhood - Dooce by Heather Armstrong. When you read this blog, you can’t help but feel connected to Heather and her family. It’s funny, it’s real, and it’s full of “Ohmigod - I can TOTALY relate” moments. It’s a little thing called authenticity, and it’s sorely missing from the manner in which other mediums portray women.

Advertisers are smart to try to tap into that relationship, that connection women have with these blogs and websites. But beware - there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it. Find out how to tap the power of social media to advertise to women.

Comments