Most small-businesses owners know that Pinterest is vastly dominated by women. However, according to information distributed by FinancesOnline.com, women also spend more time on all the major social media sites (except LinkedIn) than men.
For example, 76 percent of online women adults use Facebook, while only 66 percent of men do. Women also make up the majority of people on Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram. Women use social media more frequently during the day, and are more likely to interact with brands by showing support, accessing offers and posting comments. Women are also following the trend of using social media tools increasingly on mobile devices.
According to Emily Carroll, manager of strategic planning and consumer insights at LeapFrog Interactive, these are important facts for businesses using social media to acquire and retain customers. “Women tend to be more loyal to brands and because they maintain a great deal of the buying power, brands are foolish not to speak directly to them," Carroll says. "Social media and email represent the best ways to get a brand in front of women consumers. You have to be where they are to talk and give advice.”
How can you best target women on social media?
1. Get visual. Women are increasingly driving the “visual Web.” People connect more emotionally with images than they do with written text. In fact, according to Patricia Redsicker at The Social Media Examiner, “Customers are more likely to take action or make a decision when prompted with an image.” This means that small businesses need to use pictures and videos in their posts. Show customers using products or other brand related images.
2. Get conversational. Women are generally better communicators than men. Ask them their opinions and encourage a two-way conversation that can attach them to the “company’s community.” How soon a business needs to respond to make it a conversation depends on the social media tool being used. For example, tweets should be answered within 15 minutes and Facebook posts should be responded to within four hours.
3. Get personal. Forget the generic content. Trust is built through posting authentic points of view that reflect the brand. This allows women to connect from an emotional place where a lot of buying decisions get made.
4. Get reviewed. According to The Nielsen Global Survey of Trust in Advertising, people trust consumer opinions posted online more than paid advertising. Being very socially conscious, women are always asking what other women think. The company needs to encourage its customers to post reviews of its products and services.
5. Get them to sign up. A study by Exact Target reveals women are more likely to sign up for offers. On social media, companies should use Facebook or OpenID plugins to get contact information so the relationship can be solidified through other online marketing methods like email.
6. Get used to hashtags. Using these Instagram and Twitter tags will let your company’s content connect to popular subjects viewed by women. Tweets that use hashtags can get twice as much engagement as those without them. It’s an easy way for the company to join desired conversations where they can become a trusted source. Popular hashtags used by women include #WOW (Women on Wednesdays) and #girlslikeus.
How does your business use social media to attract women to your company?
Read more articles on marketing.
Photo: Thinkstock
