I’ve resigned myself to the fact that writing, ranting and getting snarky (or cranky!) about politics is never going to make me rich. I already knew that, but was disheartened to actually read it in print in the New York Times article Woman to Woman Online.
Sure, we all know that Dooce is the bee’s knees in the world of mommybloggers when it comes to finding a funny way to look at the world of mothering and I admire her for being able to turn it into a livelihood.
But apparently, when it comes to advertising, those of us who like to write about things in addition to being a mother, like, say, news, politics, world events or any other topic that the MSM considers to be a “non-mom” topic, we’re pretty far down on the list for being prime spots in the world of marketing to women.
In her NY Times article, author Claire Cain Miller writes:
To the disappointment of some women who want sites that focus on serious issues like politics, advertisers are not interested in every kind of content. They gravitate to the tried-and-true topics of women’s magazines: fashion, beauty, celebrities and love life.
It’s a slow progression and I guess there is some truth to it. The turnout for the BlogHer conference sessions on political topics was a bit slim. But I can’t help feeling pigeonholed when I read articles like this. Do advertisers really think they can only reach us by focusing on places where we get shopping tips or can lament our maternal shortcomings?
Now, I’m all about the cute shoes, but I’m also all about how my parents are going to make ends meet in their retirement, how all children can get decent health care, whether the country is going to hell in the proverbial hand-basket and how to keep my retirement savings from disappearing like warm chocolate chip cookies in a classroom full of pre-schoolers.
And I’m not the only one. Miranda at This Time, It’s Personal says:
This is the biggie for me right now. Our health care system is seriously messed up. Millions of children (and adults, of course) do not have health care. Millions more have inadequate health care. Of developed countries, we have the highest per capita cost for health care, but we are not number one. Nope, we rank #37.I’m going to repeat that: Our health care system ranks #37 in the world. We pay more than many others of the richest countries in the world, but our health care isn’t as good.
I guess the good news is that at least some outlets are becoming more interested in what we have to say on things other than leftovers and potty training. CNN’s iReports had a booth at BlogHer for women to talk about what issues are the most important to them in the upcoming election. Many, including myself, took full advantage of that chance for a little free airtime!
And I guess there is a glimmer of hope in light of NBC’s interest in BlogHer, though it would be great to see an iVillage category for news or politics. As Lisa Witter points out at The Huffington Post, and in her new book The She Spot, in marketing to women it’s crucial to know how to reach them.
Yes, we spend time in the places you’re already spending money. But advertisers, feel free to reach out to us in the other places we frequent. I think it could be well worth your while.
Thu, August 14, 2008
Making Our Political Voices Heard