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Women now hold 45.4% of all executive positions compared to 29% from the previous year, according to the #Inclusive100 by She Runs It.
We know that diversity leads to an innovative workforce and that companies with gender diversity are more likely to outperform the industry median. That’s right, businesses that prioritize equity actually reap financial rewards.
For women who work in marketing—or those of us who spend a decent amount of time marketing our business—there’s more good news. Scientifically and historically, the evidence is clear that women are better at digital marketing.
If doubts or fears are holding you back professionally, now is the time to lean into your talents and power and push through those limitations. Start that side gig, strategically build your business, and market yourself with confidence.
4 Reasons why women are better at digital marketing
Perhaps you’ve just begun your entrepreneurial journey. You want to start earning money and ideally work remotely from the comfort of your own home. For this to happen, you need to start marketing your business. Here’s proof that you already have what it takes to be a successful marketer.
1. Women have solid communication skills
You need good interpersonal communication skills to effectively connect with another person, including your ideal client/customer.
A recent study comparing gender and interpersonal communication skills found that men and women each have their strong suits. However, women tend to foster relationships of equality, meaning women are skilled at positioning themselves as equal to whomever they’re communicating with.
The ability to make your audience feel comfortable is crucial for connecting with others and growing your business. Customers don’t want to feel like a person or brand is talking down to them. Creating equal ground will help people resonate with your brand, which will build trust and eventually lead to sales.
2. Women practice more empathy
Studies over the past few years have shown that men and women have the same capacity to experience empathy.
However, women tend to behave differently than men in situations that call for an empathetic response.
In 2020, NBC News explored this topic and theorized that the causes could be:
- Social expectations: Women are “supposed” to be more understanding and nurturing.
- Hormones: Women have more oxytocin, while men have more testosterone. Oxytocin can make a person more empathetic, while testosterone can do the opposite.
Whatever is behind it, if you feel that empathy is one of your strengths, use it to your advantage! Every person wants to feel understood. And being able to relate to your audience builds trust and connection.
Think about your ideal customer’s wants, needs, fears, and problems. How can you relate to them? Use what you feel to reach your audience, then show them how your product/service can help.
3. Women are better active listeners
Another reason why women are better at digital marketing is due to the way they listen.
A 2019 review of studies regarding gender and listening found that women are more likely than men to use supportive verbal feedback, which supports a smooth interaction and encourages others to speak.
How does this help with marketing?
When you’re seeking to truly understand your target audience—by asking good questions, doing your research, and learning about their pain points before you start marketing, you’re practicing active listening. When you ask someone to elaborate on what they’re saying, that’s active listening, too.
Here are a few ways to implement this:
- When writing marketing materials or recording a video, focus on offering value to your audience, but don’t get caught up in pleasing everyone. (It’s just not possible.) Worrying too much about what someone might say can hold you back and hurt your authenticity.
- When someone responds to your posts or DMs with a question or statement, answer their question, follow-up with another question, or invite them to further explain their last comment. Potential customers will appreciate your effort and you’ll start to build a rapport.
4. Women have a unique way of telling a story
Storytelling is essential to marketing. A story is easier to relate to and it allows you to sell without coming across as “salesy” or slimy.
While neither gender is better than the other at storytelling, each goes about it differently. Women tend to communicate more intimately and use their stories to connect. They don’t just tell a story for the story’s sake. They tell a story to nurture connections with their followers, fans, and customers.
Other marketing skills to develop for better social selling
While dialing into your innate qualities can help you become an exceptional marketer, you should learn some practical marketing skills as well. Here are just a few recommended by CoSchedule for 2021.
- Copywriting
- Research
- Content writing
- Analyze social media data
- Measure ROI
- Marketing funnels
- Content strategy
- SEO
- Marketing analytics
- Photoshop
Being a life-long learner and having an openness to trying new things are also included as essential for successful marketing. We couldn’t agree more. Whether you’re learning to grow your side-gig, start social selling, create quality videos, or deepen your understanding of algorithms, it’s all going to help you in the end. Stay up to date with marketing trends and learn new skills—or how to refine old ones as the need arises. Then, take consistent action and your marketing efforts will pay off.
When you’re not ready to go out on your own (yet)
Maybe you like the idea of starting a side gig, but you don’t think you’re ready to go it alone quite yet. If this describes you, then part-time work with Vector is a great option.
With on-the-job training and zero start-up fees, you can quickly begin working. And the starting pay is based on presentations, not on sales. Whether you want to advance with Vector or launch your own business down the road, we’ll help you build the skills to go after your goals.
Are you ready to start an exciting side-hustle? Contact us today to request an interview with our team.