#GirlSquad: How to really engage women on social media

It’s not a question of whether to engage with women on social media. Rather, it’s about how to do it well

Kelley Skoloda, KS Consulting and Capital

 

 

Earned attention is the “it” girl of marketing. And social media has become the heart of earning that attention. Having spent decades in the big agency world focused on big-brand marketing to women and moms and now working with scrappy entrepreneurs and innovative startups, I approach the task of earning women’s attention via social media with fresh perspectives.

Women’s incomes continue to rise. According to a recent Forbes feature, women drive 70% to 80% of consumer purchasing. As such, it’s not a question of whether to engage with women on social media. Rather, it’s about how to do it well. Here are three, actionable ways you can influence women via social media:

Keep your eye on video

If four times as many consumers prefer to watch a video than read about a product, and women drive the majority of consumer purchase decision-making, then video should be quickly becoming the go-to tool in social media communications, in particular with female consumers.

Here’s an interesting twist for those who claim to neither have the time nor budget to produce video: I was recently recruited to the board of a motion graphics company called RendrFX. Their Video Gigs product enables a business of any size to tap thousands of YouTubers and gamers to produce video content. This type of affordable, creative, community-created video production is the wave of the future.

Contentpreneurism

Members of Gen Z, by and large, want to start their own business, following in the footsteps of millennials. That means women today are parents of emerging entrepreneurs. In addition, younger women are more likely to be entrepreneurs. The bottom line: Big brands and agencies must heed this reality because women will increasingly seek to purchase more from emerging than big brands.

Another development: Content from entrepreneurs – contentpreneurism (less polish and more passion) – will sway influence and purchase. And I have a good source on this. My 17 year-old son and his friends have formed a business, The Millennial Ad Network, which counsels clients on how to reach millennial and Gen Z from the vantage point of being entrepreneurs. With little money for marketing, entrepreneurs market with innovation and passion. We can all learn a lesson from them.

Female founders as social sparks

Everyone loves a good success story. Many women love to read about and support female founders, or women who have started businesses, especially if they help women and families – think Ellevest and Sallie Krawcheck (which just landed $34.6 million in Series C funding), Tory Burch, Katrina Lake of Stitch Fix, or The Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond. The stories they tell in their authentic voice (not marketing speak) are powerful and compelling – and can be leveraged in social media.

Krawcheck, for example, has created the What the Elle newsletter and Financial Feminist posts. She smartly engages LinkedIn to share and invite commentary. More female founders will be finding their voice and seeing how impactful their own voice can be to engage women socially.

 

Kelley Skoloda is founder and “chief influencHer” at KS Consulting and Capital, as well as a founding member of the Next Act Fund, an angel investing group focused on women-led and owned, early stage businesses. She can be reached at @kelleyskoloda.