Women are a prime target of marketers, and with good reason: Estimates put their share of household spending at 80%, giving them control over about $1.7 trillion annually in the US.
Marketers know they can reach the vast majority of these women online, and according to ad server Unicast, their top priority on the internet this summer will be connecting with family and friends (76%). About two-thirds of women also planned to keep up with the news and shop for sales. To that end, the sites they are most likely to visit include search engines (75%), shopping sites and social networks (both 60%).
Asked what kinds of ads would get through to them while conducting these activities, the top choice was online advertisements with money-saving offers. Women also appreciated advertising with an interactive component, like a chance to submit a prize entry or fill out a quiz, as well as local targeting.
Social ads were less enticing, with only 12% of women surveyed saying they were more likely to notice ads that asked them to share opinions and 7% interested in a Twitter feed within an advertisement.
Research from BabyCenter is another reminder that “social” is not a simple answer to reaching women online. The online moms surveyed in March 2010 indicated they had different uses for different types of social media. Facebook was seen as primarily for socializing, while mothers turned to mommy bloggers and niche social sites like BabyCenter itself when they were looking for useful info or product recommendations.
The women surveyed by Unicast were overwhelmingly interested in using the web to connect with friends and family, but if that translates to a focus on “socializing”-oriented sites like Facebook they may be less open to marketing messages at the same time.
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Check out today’s other article, “Web Users Demand Control over Ad Targeting.”