Female business owners are leading the SME social media revolution, as their male counterparts fall behind in embracing and investing in these new channels.
According to American Express research, 43 percent of female entrepreneurs use at least one form of social media in their business, compared to 37 percent of male small business owners.
Almost half of all women are planning to increase their social media focus over the next 12, while in contrast male business owners are more likely to invest in staff and training than they are in social media.
In the survey of over 1000 small business owners, female entrepreneurs are twice as likely to cite a Facebook page as the communication tool most likely to generate sales.
They are also more likely than their male counterparts to have a business twitter account.
While both sexes are equally aware of the importance of maintaining a company website, women are also more likely to have enabled their services or products to be purchased from the company website (48 percent, compared to 40 percent of men).
The survey findings coincide with the launch of American Express’ Facebook page for small businesses, which will enable small business owners to interact and share their experiences of running a business.
It will also provide information on the latest small business developments and allow users to ask questions and to connect with other small business owners.