One of the more interesting things I’ve seen recently is an infographic at Finances Online showing how women are driving the business of social media. Women are more likely to be on social media, and they are also more likely to interact with brands on social media. If social media is truly the marketing platform of the future, it appears that women are likely to be the focus.
Brand Interaction and Social Media
According to the information presented in the inforgraphic, women are more likely to interact with brands on social media. The biggest disparity between women and men is in the area of accessing offers. Fifty-three percent of women are likely to use social media sites to access offers, while only 36 percent of men do. However, women are more likely to show support, stay current with news related to the brand, and to comment than men are.
The offer access is the stat that is most interesting to me, though. Many brands use social media like Facebook and Twitter to run promotions and offer exclusive deals and giveaways. Targeting women for these offers can be one way for these brands to boost their visibility as well as draw more business. Contests in which consumers are expected to share a post can improve the visibility even more.
For consumers, the increase of brand interaction via social media can also be a win. First of all, it’s possible to get good deals if you pay attention to your favorite brands. You can get discounts and freebies related to your favorite products and brands quickly and easily. Additionally, the fact that more brands are available on social media means that you can get your issues resolved faster. I’ve had great success with customer service issues when I use Twitter to make complaints. I also know people who have found Facebook a good way to reach brands.
In some cases, response time is much better if you turn to social media than if you send an email. My emails have been lost in the shuffle for days, where it’s often possible to get a social media response within 24 hours — if not within three or four hours.
Are Women Driving Valuation for Social Media Sites?
The infographic also implies that women could be driving the valuation for some of the more popular and valuable social media web sites. Women are using visual based social media, like tumblr, Pinterest, and Instagram at higher rates than men, and these are also the fastest-growing social media networks. According to the infographic, a good portion of the $7.7 billion value of Pinterest is due to the way women use that social media site.
The rise of social media in business, as well as women’s roles in boosting it, might mean that companies will cater even more to women in the future — at least when it comes to their online campaigns. What do you think? How often do you use social media? Do you interact with brands through these sites?
