How Do Men & Women Use Social Media

How does social media use differ between men and women? In the popular book Men are from Mars Women are from Venus, John Gray states that that each gender is acclimated to its own planet’s society and customs.

The general consensus is that men and women communicate differently and this is evident on social media. A recent study conducted by Microsoft found that there is a particular distinction between privacy behaviors.

How Women Use Social Media

Both men and women use social media for the same reasons; however, there are interesting differences in behavior. Such as:

  • Women use a password less often than men to protect their devices.
  • Women use social media for professional reasons differently than men.
  • Women use social media to communicate with clients and to share information and documents.

When Connecting – Women are more likely to share pictures and posts on Facebook than men are, but 8 of 10 women feel annoyed with Facebook friends.

When Communicating – Women are more protective of their online reputations and limit their personal information more than men. Women are also more likely to limit what strangers can see online.

When Building Relationships – Women outnumber men on Facebook and Twitter. There is a big difference between the number of women who use Pinterest in comparison to men.

 

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How Do Men Use Social Media

The study shows men use social media heavily but less often than women. In business industries, men are more aggressive and like to use social media for researching their competition and growing their networks.

When Communicating – Men spend more time than women on YouTube. Even though men use social media more to build their networks, they use Pinterest less.

When Connecting – Men spend less time overall on social media than women do. Men are more targeted in their social media use.

When  Building Relationships – Women use social media sites more than men, however men are better at networking and building relationships.


Why Does It Matter

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Understanding the differences in social media usage is important as it will ultimately shape the way you communicate through social channels. Based on this Microsoft study, my key takeaways are:

  • Women may prioritize content over functionality.
  • Women may be the champions of viral content.
  • If your product/service caters to women, you MUST utilize Pinterest in your social communications.
  • Cat photos and baby pics are popular for a reason.

Am I missing anything? What are your key takeaways?

Written by
Juntae DeLane

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