Jane, like many bloggers in recent months -- we're thinking here, here, here, and soon to be here, is considering a 'new' look. To be truthful, we have been thinking about this for some time, but have not been able to act upon it. It's rather like needing (wanting) a new pair of shoes, or sandals, partly because the new outfit you bought to wear to your cousin's wedding requires new footwear, and partly because girls are just competitive about the way they look. Jane admits to jealousy over all the new blog designs.

Not green with jealousy, you understand. After all, the new designs we're noticing are all at favorite blogs. It's just that this past week as we've caught up on our blog reading, we realize that we have not only missed out on some excellent content -- but, in not visiting our regular blogs, we missed out on all the dressing up that's going on. Sometimes, dressing up is what it's all about. Dressing up, after all, is what get's people's attention.

Watch for OUR new look...soon.

In the meantime, let's talk marketing.

No, let's not.

Let's talk selling. Yes, that's it. Marketing is all very well...it's a discipline, a talent, a focus, but it doesn't always produce the desired result, which is sales. So, let's talk sales...to women.

First of all, if we have not made it perfectly clear that women LOVE shopping, let's restate it here: Women love shopping. Personal story: in preparing for the holiday weekend, Jane asked numerous women in our office building what they were planning. Here are some of their answers:

"Oh, a family picnic. But first, I have to go shopping."

"I'm just going to relax! But, I might go shopping."

"I've gotten half a dozen birthdays coming up...so, I'm going to shop online Saturday, and spend the rest of my time off sipping lemonade by the pool."

"Shopping! Did you see the sale at...?"

"Well, we're having family in...but, before that I need to do some shopping."

No, Jane did NOT make up those answers. But, yes, some of them came from commercials on television. Why? Because holidays are designed for -- shopping. And, women are the ones who do most of the household shopping -- for themselves and for the rest of the family. In case you haven't been paying attention to the advice on this blog, before now.

But, seriously. In our blog reading, we clicked here and there, visiting links from trusted sources, reading all about marketing via blogs, about managing in a world that gets more impersonal when personalization is where it's at, and in the end, we ended up at New Communications Blogzine, where one of our favorite writers, Jory DesJardins, has an article titled, "What Do Women Bloggers Want?"

Jory notes, so pointedly, "Those whose livelihoods depend on marketing to women are fairly screwed; imagine resting your career on an ever-shifting market." Jane says, ouch! But, we read on to discover that she also says,

"Because there are no solid women's demographics anymore, marketers must look at common mindsets, or "touch points" that could elicit purchase of their product, said Frank about Women's Carrie McCament. For example, women are universally people-oriented; we will pay attention to any message that focuses on people and buy any product that can enhance our relationships with friends and family."

To this we can only say, hear, hear! We heartily encourage you to continue reading Jory's article, and to add New Communications Blogzine to your blogroll. The content is...rich and informative.

(picture compliments of Plastic Bags.com)

What's not to like about that?