My daughter Caitlyn turned 22 this weekend. It has been an honor to watch her grow up and become an influential women. I am very pleased that I have seen first hand the closing of the financial gab among women in both the programming, marketing, as well as, the website design space. I have worked for and have hired some of the best women I have met in my career. As a father of a daughter, I want to help promote this continued change of influential women in the digital marketing space.
Influential Women – Women’s History Month
One of the SEO blogs I read frequently is Jeff Shipman’s Semify. He reminds us, in his article “Nevertheless, She Marketed: Celebrating Influential Women in Digital Marketing” that last month was Women’s History Month. This event takes place each March and to mark the upcoming International Women’s Day.
We at DFW Website Designers agree with Semify in honoring women equality. We also want to pay tribute to the trailblazers who have empowered and inspired us to bring our best selves to work and to fight for equality, representation, and recognition. We join Semify in promoting equity in pay and promotional opportunities. As I cheer my daughter, I encourage you to learn and read Jeff’s piece. Here is a part reprinted with permission. Enjoy!
Influential Women – Marketing to Women Vs. Marketing By Women
Marketing and women have had a sordid history, to put it lightly. Old advertisements from the 1920s through the 1960s are infamous for their put-together homemaker slant — a concept that feels downright offensive when viewed through a modern lens. Most advertisements directed toward women were geared toward cooking, cleaning, or maintaining one’s appearance. Even as it became more commonplace for women to join the workforce, the emphasis was on homemaking and embodying what marketers felt was the feminine ideal.
Although today’s advertisements may be significantly less misogynistic in tone, 91% of women still say they feel misunderstood by marketers and advertisers. What’s more, men appear at a far greater frequency in advertisements than women do — and when women are shown, they’re more likely to be young, wearing revealing clothing, and shown in the kitchen. They’re much less likely to be portrayed as intelligent or shown as leaders.
Influential Women are the Majority of Consumers
That’s especially significant because women make up the majority of consumers and drive 70% to 80% of all purchasing. Data has also shown that women are also more likely to pay attention to and engage with advertisements than men are, making them the ideal target audience for marketing campaigns. If only more businesses really got it right, they’d be set up for success.
A lot of that might come down to greater representation within the marketing sector itself. Fortunately, things have taken a turn for the better in that area. Although it was relatively rare to see women in leadership positions in marketing agencies even as recently as the 1980s, women now outnumber men in strategic planning and media agencies while achieving equal representation in account management. Data from 2019 showed that women made up 51.3% of employees in advertising, public relations, and other related areas, while a Forbes report from 2016 found that women held approximately 60% of professional positions within agencies. And according to a recent ANA study, the number of women in marketing leadership positions has reached new heights. Data reveals that 52% of senior-level marketers and 47% of CMOs at companies surveyed were women. However, ethnic diversity in marketing remains low, which is a huge concern at a time when the fight for equality is at the forefront of American minds.
Influential Women Dominate Social Media Management
Another area of marketing where women dominate? Social media management and influencer marketing. Zippia, a careers resource website, estimates that 57.3% of social media managers are women. And while the pay gap certainly does still exist, it’s clear that women are definitely represented in this sphere. Influencer marketing, which is projected to become a $10 billion industry by 2022, is known for being driven by women — a fact that has often resulted in misogynistic attitudes toward the industry as a whole.
Women essentially outpace men in terms of social media usage on virtually every platform and commonly consult social media prior to making a purchase. Since women use more products than men — and products like apparel, personal care items, and food are commonly advertised on social media platforms — they’re a natural fit for both purchasing and promoting. They’re also more likely to share personal information in their posts to connect with others. Because authentic storytelling is an essential part of becoming a successful influencer, it makes sense that women would do well. It’s also worth noting that social media influencers have become modern-day models who take on the work of ad agencies, photographers, and talent. As such, women earn three times as much as men on sponsored social media posts.
It’s clear from these statistics that a lot of progress has been made. That said, the presence of women in marketing isn’t actually a novel idea.