No surprise really to discover that women are the majority when it comes to social media sites. I have been tracking the statistics of my own fan pages on Facebook, I looked over the followers I have on Twitter, and even on LinkedIn. There are a lot of women in each of those places and they dominate the numbers.
Think about it, have a look at the supermarket, the theater, even your places of worship. Women are the driving force in the conversations that are happening both online and offline.
So was I shocked to see the results of this study? No not really, as a matter of fact I am kind of insulted that I need a survey headline splashed across my RSS reader to confirm a fact I already knew. I guess though that woman have a better grasp of how to be social.
Face it fellas, most guys are not all that good at the art of “making friends”. Men by nature seen to be always sizing up the “competition” in the room. Most men are insecure and attempting to hide from their insecurity by trying to be the strong silent types. Then there are guy like me who are ok with who they are and are annoying and sometimes obnoxious in the conversations. I am a VERY social creature and have even been told during a performance review that my friendliness is a fault of mine. So I end up in the minority by virtue of my gender and that is alright as well because that is how “it” works.
At the end of the day though is causes me to think about how businesses need to promote. I asked my wife recently about the kinds of things she surfs for online. I wasn’t surprised when she told me clothes for the kids, womens health issues, womens fitness, food and beverage, home decor, gardening, the list is pretty female concentric as you can see. So If you are considering developing a product, promoting an idea, or even affiliate marketing using social media you need to consider who the audience is.
I am not saying that guys don’t buy things online, but check out what the ladies buy and where you will see I am pretty dead on. Guys buy, but we are long tail searchers and book mark users, we are specific and get what we want or need and get out. Women engage in the conversation, make friends, and build relationships with brands and businesses. I have a barber, she had “Jackie” at the salon. I go to Penny’s and buy jeans, she goes to Dillard’s with Stacy and shops noting her cashiers mane was Amanda. I grab a sandwich and beer at the corner pub, she has lunch with the girls and chatted with Duane, the manager of the place.
Take note and remember, “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” And spends money online.
Michael Mock