Considering: “Social Media For Small Biz: A Girl Thang?”
I’m really glad I got Michele Pepe-Warren to talk to her cat last week. Michele was reacting to the recent findings from the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute that women business owners feel more strongly about the importance of using social media in their business.
Notably, the women reported social media important in TWO WAY COMMUNICATION. In other words, they value social media both for pushing out information about their own companies, but also about pulling information in about the companies of others.
Those companies can fall in two camps. First, social media is then one of their tools for finding out what their customers want and letting those prospective customers know that they can help. And second, social media is a means of learning more about their competitors.
The study also includes a consideration of the age of the business owners. Not surprisingly, the older we get, the less likely we are to use social media in our businesses. Isn’t that like giving away the farm to the next generation? Certainly, it is not for all businesses, business owners, industries, etc. But isn’t it important to think about when it can be helpful and it what ways?
I’m really intrigued by the finding of the studies for another reason. Women also reported feeling more strongly about using software to make their businesses run more efficiently. The difference between women and men wasn’t large, but it was there.
The long time stereotype has been that men/boys are more techie than women/girls. The long time fact has also been that men have made the decisions about what technologies get developed. Maybe we are starting to move toward the development of technology with a broader appeal?
Patricia Greene
President’s Distinguished Professor Of Entrepreneurship