2019 Women vs 2021 Women

Is it time to throw out your old listener profile? 99.9% of humanity has been forever changed because of 2020. Your listener is not the .1%

The 2019 woman had an optimistic outlook on life. Her kids were healthy, she could afford to go on vacations with her family, her kids were well adjusted and planning their futures. Her relationship was healthy. Everything in life was working according to her perfectly organized Excel spreadsheet

The 2021 Woman is recovering from trauma. She’s worried about her kids' physical and mental health constantly. She likely had to cut back on work because her kids were doing virtual school from home, and she had to supervise. She’s rebuilding. Her kids were completely changed because of the pandemic. They are struggling with social skills, in therapy, and many have decided not to go away to college after all. What’s the point if you can do it all online from bed in sweatpants? Her excel spreadsheet of her hopes and dreams with deadlines and dates she wanted to accomplish them has been erased. She needs you to feed her soul.

Personally, my 3 children 15, 13, and 11 are forever changed. The pandemic changed who they are and who they will become. I’m doing my best to keep up.

Three Things You Need to Know about Your Female Listener in 2021

1. Her relationships are fragile: Your content must not assume she is married. The 2021 woman is not necessarily married, and if she is, it’s likely not her first marriage. The rate of marriage is declining faster than rates of divorce according to the Census, and experts predict that somewhere between 40 and 50% of all marriages existing today will ultimately end in divorce. The statistics are not different within the church. She’s even lost friendships in this past year because of our polarizing political climate. Personally, my circle of trust has become drastically smaller.
2. She is a highly educated breadwinner. Your content must respect her intelligence and independence. Not only does she make the financial decisions, but likely she is the head of household. College women now outnumber men 60/40 (CNN). A 2020 survey by TD Ameritrade found that about half of married women earn the same amount or more than their husbands do, a huge shift from decades past. According to the Pew Research Center, just 3.8 per cent of women earned more than their husbands did in 1960. She doesn’t need you to remind her to put jackets on the kids at the bus stop.
3. She likely doesn’t go to church If she went to church a few times a month in 2019, she likely doesn’t go to church now. You are her spiritual connection. According to the Wall Street Journal, in Nov 2021 In-person church attendance is 30% to 50% lower than it was before. She might watch it online Sunday mornings while her kids are sleeping in, or she catches a YouTube video or podcast later in the week on her commute. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing for Christian radio. People are learning that they can get spiritual encouragement streamed into their cars and homes at any time they want it that fits their schedule. You fit her schedule. You are on the air all the time with the content that she craves.

2021 women are stronger than ever. They have faced a challenge they never expected and had to find a way to lead their family through a pandemic. You help her do it. She doesn’t need you to be “safe for the family” anymore, she needs you to be safe for HER.

Forever, I have felt spoken down to as a Christian woman and radio listener. I’m now on a personal mission to inspire the format I love, grew up on, and have dedicated my life to, to respect their female listeners as the strong capable women that we are, and are called to be.

“Have I not commanded you, declares the lord, to be strong and courageous, for I go with you wherever I go.” -Joshua 1:9

Be with her too…

Here’s a voicemail for you from your 2021 female listener:

Amanda Carroll is a nationally syndicated host with Salem Communications, Assistant Program Director and Morning Show Co-Host at The Fish Sacramento. She also runs an online platform and hosts a podcast that inspires women to live a strong and courageous life at www.getyourbraveon.info. If you’d to get her content on your radio station, email groberson@salemmusicnetwork.com She is also available for talent coaching and consulting. Email her at amanda@1039thefish.com.