We talk about low hanging fruit in a lot of different contexts. It’s what we, in both personal and professional lives, often try to gain first. It’s the easiest thing for us to get, whatever that context of getting might be. But when I (not me personally; women in general) was called low hanging fruit in a recent report, I initially took a little offense to the term. In reading through the write up, though, the point of the research makes sense.
The study looks at women identified as Digital Women Influencers and the takeaway from the report is that social media presents a unique opportunity for brands focused on engaging with, and marketing to, women. That finding itself isn’t new; groups marketing to women have been saying that for quite a while. I think what is sometimes overlooked is the extent to which certain groups of women participate in social media. Look at some of the statistics:
- 86% of women have a social media account, and not only one account.
- On average, women spend almost 2 hours a day with social media.
- 19% have some best friends that they only know through a social platform.
- 24% would rather socialize through social media than in person.
One of the most important points for brands is in this infographic a little more than halfway down. Brands should engage the women of social media and consider them as possible brand advocates. This group of female influencers make recommendations online; they post comments about goods and services; they “Like” products. They share. Why not share with them? Not just coupons and sales, but meaningful content and conversations.
So, while I’ve never thought of myself as a piece of fruit, I can see this one. If women are important to your brand in any way, recognize their social connectivity and stay focused on having a social media strategy to embrace and engage them.
Image from Weber Shandwick infographic.