Women Helping Women… In Social Media
Posted in Social Networking
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By Amanda Quraishi
Women get a bad rap for competing against one another, and while I won’t deny that it happens from time to time I can honestly say that the majority of my relationships with women have always been incredibly supportive and beneficial. In fact, I have found that women seem to understand the idea of community at a fundamental level and nowhere are this more obvious than in the world of social media.
Recent statistics show that women are dominating in social media. We are using it for all kinds of purposes, not the least of which is to further our business interests. And while competition is part of being in business, social media allows us to compete in a positive, proactive way: by building relationships and participating in communities online (and off).
Using applications like Twitter and Facebook allows small business owners to communicate directly with their customers. Expressing yourself through these channels lets customers get to know YOU as an individual, and as they do so they develop an emotional attachment to your brand. Obviously, as a business-owner you don’t want to go online and make provocative statements or start challenging people’s deeply held beliefs. However, women often look for women-owned businesses to support, so why not let your customers know what you and your company are all about? Letting your personality come through can be endearing and will encourage people to engage with you AND your business.
Another benefit to using social media is that you are able to find complimentary businesses and build relationships with the owners, building alliances and cross-promoting each other–even if you live hundreds of miles apart. There is a lot you can learn by talking to other business owners: marketing and advertising strategies, money management, employee management and so much more. Even the most experienced entrepreneurs can benefit from regularly engaging with their peers. Having a “posse” in social media is good for your business—and good for you as you struggle each day with the challenges of running a small business.
As much as you grow to rely on other women in social media, there are some ways that you can show yourself worthy of their support: Be prepared to promote others without necessarily requiring any “payback.” If you really like and admire someone, just work to promote them and build a friendship. Also, keep your self-promotion modest and professional. Everyone wants a piece of the pie, and forcing yourself into conversations or making a nuisance of yourself online will only reflect badly on you and your business.
Remember: be interesting, be informative, or be entertaining (if you’re all three, BONUS!) and you can’t go wrong in social media. Most importantly, remember that there are real people behind those avatars, and like you, they are women who appreciate a kind word, a helpful link, a compliment or a referral. One good tweet deserves another.
Amanda Quraishi is a writer, blogger and activist living in Austin, Texas. She works as the Social Media Manager at UpSpring Baby, a company making innovating products for moms and babies.
Great article – I like the idea of having a “posse” of women through social networking – we can all learn from each other! :)
Amanda, You’re advice is fantastic (even for guys), keep up the good work. great site!
When I think of my social media “posse”–the followers on Twitter who by now feel like friends, who I often have random conversations with that go beyond work issues–the majority of them are women. A lot of them work from home and in a similar industry as I do, but you’re right, we don’t see each other as competitors. We’re happy to have one another’s company and camaraderie and help each other out when we can. I’ve even spoken on the phone with a few of them, and a group of us from all over the US are planning to get together when they’re in Austin for SXSW.
Having developed this friendship with them makes me want to promote them whenever I can because I’m doing it from a place that’s genuine. When I link to one of their events and tell people, “You have to go to this, she’s awesome” I really do mean it.
Plus, it makes working from home a little less lonely ;)
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Most of the time women seems to make friends better than men. And with social media on the rise its an epidemic. Good job ladies.