Men are from LinkedIn, Women are from…Pinterest?

I’m sure that everyone has seen the astronomical statistics concerning the gender split of Pinterest users – I've personally seen anywhere from 72%-97% of it’s users reporting to be female.  I know what you’re thinking, DUH!  With all the wedding, cooking, and crafting boards, how could it not be loaded with women?!

However, do you know the real reason as to why ladies are pinning to their heart’s desire?  Or better yet, do you know how to use this knowledge to the advantage of your online campaign?

There have been a number of studies over the years that show the psychological differences between how the male and female brains work, most famously published in the book “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus”, by John Gray.  With that being said, it should come as no surprise that men and women also have separate approaches to how they perceive their social media experiences.

A more recent study has been released from financesonline.com (http://tinyurl.com/qb9d5ws) that illustrates these differences.  A few facts pulled from Pew Research Center’s Internet Project Survey provides us with the following social media behaviors:

• Men typically use social media for both dating and business purposes, whereas women are more likely to use social media in order to gain access to entertainment, share           information with others, and for self-help reasons.

• With online brand interactions, men are much more likely to scan a QR code because it gives them an instant response.  However, women feel more inclined to like or follow a brand first, allowing them the chance to “get to know” the company – Women also are less likely to take action on any paid advertising campaigns or mobile text ads.

• Chances are women will go for those shopping, camera, and various gaming applications on their mobile phones, while men have more of an interest in video, news, and GPS (highlighting the fact that men still can’t ask for directions!)

Keeping this study in mind, we are able to learn just how to target the two genders when it comes to your digital marketing campaign!

Here’s a few pointers: if you want to target women in your social media campaign – It would be more beneficial to use family oriented and sentimental themes, real-life situations, or aspirational topics.  If you want to target the men, go after the cars, sports, and action-packed themes to draw in their attention.  Additionally, you could always simply use humor, value, or celebrity endorsements to catch the eye of both genders.

To conclude, although the two sexes talk, act, and behave differently; there are plenty of ways to target them both in your branding techniques.  The most important thing to remember is to show your audience that you care, regardless of gender!