Why Gender-Based Marketing Fails — And What to Do Instead

The Problem with Gender-Based Marketing

How Gender Stereotypes Hurt Your Brand

If you’re an entrepreneur, you’ve probably seen boat loads of advice telling you that you need “niche down” in order to be successful, but no one ever really talks about the harm that can be caused when it’s done incorrectly. While having a niche will make it drastically easier for you to talk about your offers and help your ideal clients opt-in to your work, focusing on gender as one of the key aspects of that niche will likely do more harm than good.

For most brands, gender-based branding and marketing is going to alienate more people than it’s going to land with. If you say you work with women, is your work truly gender-based or are you using this language as short-hand for a type of person you don't accurately know how to describe?

What most entrepreneurs are trying to do with this language is to exclude sexist, aggressive or otherwise harmful men. I think we all understand this.

But what this language inadvertently does is excludes folks of other gender identities who might adore your work—including genderqueer, trans, nonbinary folks, and yes, amazing men too.

Gendered language often inadvertently upholds sexism and harmful stereotyping. Specific messaging and copy is incredible, but try focusing on the relevant lived experiences of your dream clients instead of assumptions about their gender.

Why Customers Reject Gendered Messaging

What the research tells us about gender-based branding

A recent study found that 5% of people under 30 now identify their gender as different from the one assigned them at birth which means there are nearly 4 million people in the United States alone that fall outside of the binary.

Of course, trans and non-binary folks have always existed, but if you’re someone who has held out on being more inclusive because you feared it would stunt your businesses growth (no judgement, I’m happy to have you hear now), these numbers don’t lie.

Regardless of someone’s gender, most folks are turned off by overly presumptuous copy that relates to gender because it feels outdated and exclusionary. It’s also important to remember that 84% of people make purchasing decisions based on a brand’s values.

And when you consider that 44% of folks in the US personally know someone who is trans and 20% know someone who is nonbinary, those people are likely going to vote with their dollar when it comes to those who showcase values that honor and uplift those identities.

When you use gendered language in your branding and marketing, you’re doing these communities (and your business) a massive disservice.

What Works Instead: A More Inclusive Approach

So what’s the solution? How do we niche down without relying on gender while still being specific in a way that shows dream clients we see and understanding them (without making egregious assumptions that uphold problematic stereotypes)?

Lean into your values and let that be the determining factor for who would benefit most from your services!

Ask yourself: What non-gendered messaging can I create to attract the people who would benefit the most from this work while simultaneously scaring off nightmare clients?

Values are one of the most powerful tools for entrepreneurs who give a damn about using their businesses to create positive change in the world. Clear values make it easier for you to create content, build offers, and attract dream clients. If you know exactly what you stand for, how it shows up in your work, and why that matters to your dream clients, most things in your business move a whole lot smoother (and you’ll find you increase your impact and income at the same time—those things don’t have to be mutually exclusive).