Women’s Day promotion and marketing ideas (2022)

What is International Women’s Day (really)?

International Women’s Day is a day of celebration and awareness for women’s issues and achievements everywhere. It’s observed by people and organizations worldwide and used to leverage women’s rights and interests, fight injustices, and celebrate advances made. Each year IWD has a different theme that brings a specific and pressing issue to public attention.

How did International Women’s Day start?

International Women’s Day dates back to the early 1900s. Women who were sick of being overworked, underpaid, and facing numerous other inequalities began to come together as an organized movement to demand equal rights. As a result, the first Women’s Day was celebrated in New York in 1913 and has been celebrated around the world ever since. 

Women have achieved countless advances in virtually every aspect of life since 1913 and Women’s Day in 2022 is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate these accomplishments. That being said, there is still much work to be done when it comes to achieving gender parity and this day is an opportunity to bring this to the public’s attention.

What is the theme for International Women’s Day this year?

The theme for International Women’s Day 2022 is “Break the Bias”, according to the International Women’s Day website. The goal of this theme is to show that biases against women still exist, and whether or not they are conscious, they play a part in the overall success women can achieve in the world today. Not only do we need to be aware of these biases, but we need to take action to eradicate them.

Businesses play a role in this and have a responsibility to create more inclusive workplaces. Promotions and marketing ideas that make it clear that your business is pushing for equality are bound to affect the decision-making process of clients, both about how they will spend their money and how they live their lives. 

Women’s Day promotion ideas

We have made a list of some promotion ideas to show the women in both your business and clientele that their success is your success.

1. Spotlight staff members

Women’s Day should not be the only time of year that you recognize the hard work of the women in your company. While their colleagues are likely already familiar with the important role women play in operating any business, International Women’s Day is a chance to take this recognition public. 

Introducing your female staff to customers by featuring a special Women’s Day story or announcement on your eCommerce site is a great way to make your appreciation known. Not only will this give customers an intimate look into who is behind your business, but it will make your female employees feel seen and valued.

2. Contribute to a cause

There is no shortage of organizations dedicated to achieving gender parity. Using your platform to highlight a charity or organization focused on women will help bring some much-needed attention to an important cause. Something as simple as a social media post with information about where your customers can donate or volunteer can speak volumes.

If your business can afford to take it to the next level, consider donating a percentage of your proceeds to a women-run or focused charity for the month of March. If the whole month is not a possibility, perhaps the week of or day of March 8th is a more viable option. Whatever you decide, make sure your customers are aware of the contribution and details about the cause you choose.

3. Feature a Women’s Day giveaway

Giveaways on social media are a win-win for both the customer and the business. Think of the user-generated content from these campaigns as free advertisements. Plus, people are more likely to trust a product if it is being promoted by someone they know, creating opportunities for new and existing customer engagement.

Ask your customers to like and share a post of yours, or create a campaign in which they post their own photos and tag your company. The giveaway should include something valuable to the customer, incentivizing participation. For example, create a Women’s Day post on social media and ask your followers to tag three women they appreciate and choose one winner to receive a gift on March 8th.

4. Host a Women’s Day event

Online promotions are a great way to reach a wide audience, but hosting an in-person event is a wonderful way to really get to know your clients and vice versa. An event will help create a sense of community among your clients and familiarity with your brand.

There are numerous possibilities for Women’s Day events. One example could be organizing a day of volunteering at your community’s women’s shelter. Another idea could be hosting a panel of successful businesswomen speaking on their experiences. 

If you are unsure what direction you want to go in for your event, you might benefit from collaborating with another business to organize something together. You could also reach out to your customers directly via email or social media to ask what would interest them most and based on their response, take it from there.

Women’s Day marketing ideas

Try tweaking your marketing to fit the Women’s Day theme, it doesn’t have to be overly complicated to be effective. 

1. Happy International Women’s Day banner

You don’t need to be face to face to make Women’s Day memorable for your clients. Even something as simple as a few aesthetic changes on your website can show your customers that Women’s Day is a cause you care about. 

Customers will appreciate being welcomed by a “Happy Women’s Day” banner upon entering your site. Keep in mind when designing your banner that purple, green and white are International Women’s Day’s official colors. You can also link your banner to a charity or site with more information about International Women’s Day.

I) Happy Women’s Day email signature banner

Take the festive banner idea to the next level by adding a special Women’s Day banner to your email signature for the month of March. Not only will your customers appreciate the gesture of solidarity, but your female colleagues are sure to as well.

II) Happy Women’s Day email

Email campaigns are a classic way to reach out to your customers. Try these email templates to stand out on this year’s International Women’s Day.

III) Empower your customers

Simply recognizing Women’s Day is special by sending out an email wishing your customers a happy International Women’s Day is an effective email campaign. If done right, your customers will not feel pandered to, but recognized. So tone here is key.

Your email template should include inspirational copy and imagery at the forefront. Think of an inspirational story about how your brand has benefitted from and been beneficial to women. You could tell the story of one unique woman (perhaps your business’s founder if relevant) or highlight the stories of many women that are successful in your industry. 

You can add a call to action, asking your audience to celebrate with you by enjoying a discount with a promotional code in honor of these women.

IV) Try an interactive email

It is important to stand out from your competitors’ emails, which is where interactive email campaigns come in handy. If your product is more on the ‘fun’ side, you can focus your copy on the celebratory aspects of International Women’s Day and even include a game, like spinning a wheel of fortune, to win a prize or promotional discount code.

Another idea for an interactive email is to include a Happy Women’s Day card that readers can personalize and forward to others directly from your original email. 

V) Drive urgency

Nothing gets people moving like a short-term promotion. Rather than send out emails a couple of weeks before March 8th, try sending out emails the day before featuring a promotion code that is valid for only 24 hours.

Make sure to include this information in the subject line to grab your reader’s attention. Again, include copy and imagery that relates to Women’s Day in the body of the email and use a CTA offering the 24-hour promotion code.

2. Happy Women’s Day advertisements

Advocate through your advertisements.

I. Launch a video campaign

Video campaigns can feature either your employees or your customers, in which you can pose a question to your audience via social media. For example, ask your followers to send a video about what an inspiring woman is to them. You can turn the responses into one finished product which is then used in an ad campaign. 

This kind of advertising campaign puts focus on the customer rather than the product. A campaign like this one appeals to the consumer’s emotional side. This intimate look into real people creates an authentic sense of connection between the business and its customers. 

Rather than pushing the product, emotional campaigns tie a personal feeling to your brand and make people feel connected on a more personal level.

II. Tell an inclusive story

Women’s Day does not just celebrate women in the traditional sense. You can use this opportunity to highlight transwomen and women of color, who are unfortunately all too often excluded from the feminist narrative even in 2022.

You can choose to feature a diverse array of women in your visual advertisements or take the time to give a voice to either employees or customers that have an inclusive message to share about their experience with Women’s Day.

III. Support women-owned businesses

Whether or not your business is women-owned, use Women’s Day to advertise some of your favorite women-owned businesses. Whether you choose to collaborate with one or many of these businesses to send out a joint message, or just advertise others on your own because they deserve it, this is a great message to send to your clients.

Sharing these businesses on social media with a hashtag like “women supporting women” will generate hype and spread brand awareness. 

IV. Make your policies public

Inequality in the workplace is still much more common than it should be. Whether unconscious biases or social norms are to blame, the only way to make a change is to be vocal about workplace policies.

Share your business’s policies with the world about how you promote equality in the workplace, showing that your business is a proud supporter of women. While this is not a direct product advertisement, it shows that your business is transparent and trustworthy which will help build brand loyalty. 

3. Wish everyone on social media a Happy International Women’s Day

Each social media channel has a different tone, make sure you are speaking each channel’s language.

I. Linkedin

Linkedin is a social media platform for professionals. Focus your post on something like the history of women in the workforce and how your business aims to support women in the fight for equality. Consider featuring a quote from a woman in your company about their experience.

II. Twitter

Twitter users know how to get straight to the point. Write a Women’s Day post featuring this year’s theme and include the hashtag #BreaktheBias to draw attention to this year’s cause.

III. Instagram

Instagram is all about visuals. Come up with an eye-catching image and include a caption about the history of Women’s Day. You can also use the break the bias hashtag here and invite your customers to post their own photos with the hashtag to join the celebration.

International Women’s Day is a chance to celebrate the women connected to your business and show those not yet connected where you stand. No matter the product you offer, you have countless options for joining the good fight on March 8th.

Whether your customers are women or not, they are sure to appreciate the fact that your brand cares about important causes and respect you using your platform to drive change.