With almost 4 billion females on the planet, International Women’s Day provides a fantastic opportunity for ecommerce brands to celebrate their female customer base. 🏆
And for growing ecommerce brands, shining a light on women worldwide can also help drive traffic, boost sales, and nurture a whole new audience of raving fans.
International Women’s Day takes place on March 8th every year. So if you’re looking for a way to grow your business in the coming months, this could be the peak shopping day you’ve been waiting for.
To get you inspired to take on the challenge, we’ll share how International Women’s Day can help you grow your sales and improve cash flow. We’ll also reveal some top product and marketing ideas, plus real-life examples to inspire you to show up and show out on this one-of-a-kind holiday.
Ready? Let’s get started!
The scoop on marketing ideas for International Women’s Day
- How International Women’s Day can help you scale your brand
- 5 Women’s Day marketing ideas to “wow” your audience
- Women’s Day marketing inspo: 3 brands that get it
Ready for a show-stopping Women’s Day product drop? Find out how flexible working capital can help fund your next launch.
How International Women’s Day can help you scale your ecommerce brand
We’ll be honest. While International Women’s Day is an important event, at first glance, it doesn’t give off the rainmaker vibe like Mother’s Day or Black Friday.
So you might be wondering why you should even be investing your efforts in new products and marketing campaigns for Women’s Day.
Here’s the thing. International Women’s Day isn’t just a great day for giving well-deserved props to women, it’s also a great opportunity to gain qualified leads and sales for your growing store.
In fact, making a real effort with your Women’s Day promotions can pay off big time.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the key ways Women’s Day can bring in a boost for growing brands.
Increased traffic can help boost your lead count
On International Women’s Day, people of all genders from all around the globe take to the internet to share interesting facts, words of encouragement, and acknowledgements of the important ladies in their life.
Community-minded brands can take advantage of the elevated traffic to start conversations with potential customers, kickstart a relationship with new buyers, and increase their overall number of qualified leads.
Boost sales by helping shoppers gift hunt
In the run-up to International Women’s Day, many online shoppers will be seeking out gifts to say thank you to the women in their lives. 🎁
For example, for Russian brand Wildberries, the top products bought in the days leading up to International Women’s Day were shampoos and creams.
Bundling complementary products as a way to boost average order value while making it easy for shoppers to deliver gifts with wow-factor, is a great way to level up your sales on the day.
Generate extra cash flow for peak seasons
Let’s face it. Global supply chains aren’t what they used to be.
These days, you’ve got to start preparing for peak season as early as 6 months in advance just to make sure you don’t lose sales due to stockouts.
Unfortunately, this also means you have less time to generate the cash flow needed to cover peak season inventory.
That’s where events like International Women’s Day can step in and save the day. With the right campaign, you’ll add another revenue-generator to your ecommerce calendar, making it easier to secure the funds you need for a killer holiday season.
5 Women’s Day marketing ideas to “wow” your audience
As more brands catch on to the revenue potential from Women’s Day, the competition is heating up.
To really steal the show, it’s essential to ace two key areas — your product and your marketing.
We’ve got you covered. Let’s dive into some proven marketing ideas that can help you drive traffic and sales this Women’s Day.
1. Launch a “Did you know?” competition
People love sharing facts about International Women’s Day.
Create a competition encouraging shoppers to share the weirdest or most wonderful facts on women in history, or influential women related to your specific product niche.
To sweeten the deal, offer a product from your Women’s Day collection for the best responses.
And don’t forget about the gents. 40% of people interested in women’s rights topics are men, so encourage them to get involved.
For extra engagement, you can also include rules for sharing the competition as part of the game.
2. Create the ultimate Women’s Day product bundles
Depending on your niche, you might not even need to create a brand new product line for Women’s Day.
All you really need is some creativity and an ad budget.
Simply repackage your existing products into offers catering to the wants and needs of your target customers who identify as female.
For example, say you sell hair care products, you could offer a free detangling brush with every product. Or, if you sell skin creams and face masks, you could create bundling around goals or feelings your target user wants to achieve like “relaxation”, “reenergizing”, and “reset”.
Whatever you choose, ensure the bundle has a high perceived value with your target audience.
3. A fun and celebratory email marketing sequence 📧
Another great way to get your audience engaged is through a tailored email marketing sequence. For maximum conversions, combine education, entertainment, questions, and purchase opportunities.
To get started, here are some ideas you can incorporate into your email marketing for International Women’s Day:
- Take your email subscribers on a fun ride acknowledging the bravery, leadership, and pioneering work of women past and present.
- Provide exclusive discounts and promos to your list to celebrate the big day.
- Share “day in the life” content to shine the light on your female staff and acknowledge their contribution.
- Ask your list who is on their list of inspirational women and share answers on social media.
💡Pro Tip: Make sure your content is authentic. Only post content uplifting women if it reflects your company’s core values and internal practices. Shoppers can sniff out phony brand messaging a mile away!
4. Customize content for your website and social media pages
A great way to drum up excitement and encourage people to hit “buy” is to spread the word about Women’s Day on your website and social channels.
People lead busy lives. It’s easy to forget events that aren’t as big as Christmas, Boxing Day, etc. Your content will act as a friendly nudge to encourage consumers who want to celebrate Women’s Day to go ahead and get shopping.
Here are some fun ways you can inform and remind shoppers of the big event:
- Create a dedicated landing page highlighting what International Women’s Day is all about.
- Craft blog, image, and video content about International Women’s Day and market it with paid ads and social media.
- Share special messages from your social media followers and email subscribers to their loved ones.
- Optimize your product pages and banners with a “Happy International Women’s Day” message.
- Create flash sales and limited-time promos using a code that nods to Women’s Day e.g., “Womensday20” for 20% off.
5. Run a video campaign featuring your customers 📹
Nothing makes shoppers stop and pay attention quite like video.
Create a video series discussing and celebrating topics like equality, womanhood, and motherhood — and don’t be afraid to get your customers involved.
For example, you could discuss what International Women’s Day means to your customers and the changes they hope to see in the world to build a better future for women and girls.
Women’s Day marketing inspo: 3 brands that get it
PayPal’s gender bias awareness campaign
In 2019, PayPal chose to raise awareness on gender bias to pave the way for a world free from gender inequality. Bringing together a group of business leaders,
PayPal filmed their discussions on how we can make workplaces more gender-balanced. The group also added value to viewers by sharing what it’s like to be a female in business and their tips for success to empower women on the rise.
How to ace your Women’s Day marketing campaign like PayPal:
- Host Q&A sessions with influencers in your niche on key topics affecting women.
- Use video content to educate your audience on issues affecting the community.
- Share helpful reels, stories, and full-length videos on how we can all contribute to making the world a better place for women.
North Face’s for women by women anthem
Straying away from its clothes and lifestyle content, North Face took to the stage with a company anthem, voiced by global brand ambassador Jess Glynne, that showcased influential people who aren’t afraid to stray away from the crowd.
North Face’s desire to acknowledge, uplift, and stand with women of all kinds was reflected in the anthem, making it a Women’s Day message to remember.
How to celebrate women like North Face:
- Post inspirational content of women supporting women.
- Get creative by using music, art, and dance to capture your audience’s attention.
- Support a cause that helps women and girls.
Dove Chocolate’s women-led marketplace
In 2019, Dove Chocolate chose action over words for one of its International Women’s Day campaigns.
The mega brand set up a marketplace in Ivory Coast for women to sell their soaps and fabrics as part of its $1 million investment into non-profits.
The initiative was Dove’s way of giving back in a tangible way to the country it sources cocoa from, while helping to change lives for the better.
How to do it like Dove:
- Donate a portion of your Women’s Day profits to charities that serve women.
- Share support and help market women’s charities on your social media and website year-round.
- Create a custom bundle for Women’s Day and donate the funds generated to female-focused non-profits.
Deliver a high-impact Women’s Day campaign
International Women’s Day is both an undercover moneymaker and genuine opportunity for ecommerce brands to show up and do good.
With a little creativity and a charitable spirit, you can win the hearts of shoppers and increase cash flow ahead of the peak season rush.
So start preparing your winning marketing campaigns and products. Partner with like-minded brands and influencers, and get ready to make an impact. With the right strategy and approach, your brand’s International Women’s Day campaign just might be the next one to inspire many others.
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