Like it or not, social media has become part of the fabric of society, and it is important to how we do business. As a female entrepreneur, social media can play a key role in the success of your business by helping extend your reach and grow your network. Women today have many more opportunities for becoming entrepreneurs, but they still face obstacles that men do not; technology and social media help women break through those barriers to reach their goals.

Social media is a key part of small businesses owned by women. Facebook research shows that 81 percent of female entrepreneurs say social media is helpful to their business, and those entrepreneurs tend to spend more time active on social media.

Women all over the world have begun using social media to connect with their ideal customers, as well as other women in their field who can help them find success through the use of social media. We have seen a major surge in women-owned businesses because of social media. In 2019, 163 million women started their own businesses.

Leveraging Social Media

Social media is an affordable option for anyone trying to grow their business. Women can reach their target audience organically on social media without needing an expensive advertising campaign. Social media has multiple purposes for helping grow a business. It is an excellent tool for your marketing, customer service, branding, and more.

According to Ronne Brown, CEO of women-first community Girl CEO, “Social media allows you to create your own tribe… It has created a space of authenticity where you can get paid to be yourself.”

Branding

Women can use social media as a highly effective branding tool, through regular posts and interactions. By spending time interacting with your customer base, social media can help you gain customer loyalty, which in itself can help you avoid needing large and expensive advertising campaigns. Your customer loyalty may also give you the option to share “success stories” of your current customers, showcasing their experiences with your brand. This can be used in a marketing campaign, but it does not need to be a huge and expensive campaign; if you do this right, you can get your existing customers to share these stories and help grow your reach organically.

As part of branding on social media, putting a face behind the brand is important. People want to see who they are doing business with and seeing the people behind the curtain can help improve brand loyalty.

Networking

Women need to support each other, and social media platforms allow the perfect opportunity for that. Social media allows female entrepreneurs to connect with other like-minded women who they can engage with and learn from. Platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook are excellent for helping women engage and interact; something that Facebook research has indicated is commonly used by women, and not as much as men. Having role models, and being role models, can be an important part of the networking experience. In fact, Facebook research has shown that 67 percent of female entrepreneurs say they have a role model, and 70 percent say they also serve as role models.