For the longest time, young people, specifically young men ages 12-21, were the coveted demographic for major brands. A lot of this stemmed from television and viewership, but brands also look to online services to target young men.
But more recently, women have become the most important demographic for social media marketing and all forms of digital marketing, as new data shows they’re utilizing social sites more often than their male counterparts. In fact, the the only network that women are not the dominate user is LinkedIn.
Why is this, and why is it so important for businesses? Let’s explore the topic and find out!
Women Are Twice As Likely to Use Social Media for Purchase Decision Making
According to a recent study by Vanessa DiMaruro of Leader Networks and Don Bulmer of Shell, women are twice as likely as men to take to social media when making decisions about purchases. And that’s all age groups.
So instead of thinking about marketing to a specific age group, maybe your business should consider investing more time and money to target gender.
Women Have More Buying Power Than Men
We know women have all the buying power in most American households, as they’re the primary shopper, but women are also making more money as individuals. They’re outpacing men in not just earning bachelor’s degrees, but master’s degrees as well. As women become more career focused, their buying power will obviously continue to grow.
As of 2012, women were said to make 85 percent of all consumer purchases. And that includes big purchases like new cars. So think about how you’re representing your business to women on social media, because they’re likely the ones choosing your brand or business over a competitor.
Women Dominate Social Media Usage and Technology Adoption
As stated in the intro, women dominate the majority of social media websites–the exception being LinkedIn. That’s not just in user base, however, that’s also based on pure activity.
More U.S. women check Facebook and Twitter, as well as blossoming sites like Pinterest and Instagram, much more often than men. Women also post more frequently on social media and are much more likely to connect with businesses.
Women are also faster to adopt new technology than men, and use these devices and services more often as well. This includes new phones, tablets, e-readers, and every other internet-connected device you can think of.
The lesson here is that businesses that ignore women or don’t test or apply gender-specific marketing strategies are going to find themselves losing out to businesses that understand the power women hold online.