Tuesday, May 13, 2014

The Differences in How Men and Women Use Social Media

men and women use social media

Gender has always affected our buying decisions and this now extends to responding to online ads. Small businesses need to customize their social media strategies based on their type of customer to achieve the best results.


According to recent studies [click image above to view the full graphic] by Pew, Exact Target and Nielson, 56% of men who surf the Web will respond to ads with coupons compared to 39% of women. Alternately, 71% of women will ‘Like’ or follow a particular brand for deals compared to only 18% of men.


So How Do Men and Women Use Social Media Differently?


Survey results show that men are most likely to use it for business and dating. Specifically, 27% of men use it for business and 13% for social dating. Women use social media for staying in contact with friends, blogging, photo sharing, entertainment and finding how to information.


On social media, men are looking for quick access to brand deals and information. Therefore, they are much more likely to use coupons and scan QR codes. Survey results show that women will ignore any paid digital advertising from brands (including text ads) and instead focus on finding more meaningful informational engagement that matches their interest.


What Themes Resonate With Men Online?


  • Cars

  • Sports

  • Action

  • Sex

What Themes Resonate With Women Online?


  • Sentimental

  • Family

  • Real life situations

  • Children

  • Pets

Both Men and Women’s Interests Overlap and Enjoy These Themes


  • Humor

  • Value

  • Celebrity Endorsements

  • Aspirational

Men and Women Also Use Smart Phones Differently


  • Men are focused on getting news, watching video and utilizing GPS (since they never ask for directions!).

  • Women primarily use mobile phones for texting, photo sharing and playing games.

How Can You Use This Information?


If a product is targeted at men, use action and sports themes that are more likely to resonate with them. Use video, news formats and location based marketing. If a product is primarily aimed at women, the use of family, sentimental situations and photos can be effective.


These survey results should be used only as guidelines. Of course, any business or targeted customer set may vary based on age, geographic location or experience.


Does your social media marketing strategy target men and women separately?


Republished by permission. Originally published at Nextiva.


Image: FinancesOnline


The post The Differences in How Men and Women Use Social Media appeared first on Small Business Trends.




Source: Small Business Trends



The Differences in How Men and Women Use Social Media

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