More female SMB owners will begin blogging for their businesses this year, as they adapt to the new online marketing age and embrace the opportunities it presents.
According to the 2011 Australian Women and Social Media survey, conducted by Mum Pr and Brand Meets Blog, 47 percent of women in business are using blogging as part of their online marketing strategy and 28 percent of the women surveyed who don’t have blog are planning to establish one this year.
“This year is likely to see the emergence of a host of new business blogs, as more women in business strive to not get left behind in the new ways of marketing,” Mum PR director Kelly O’Brien said.
“Blogging is a great tool to reach buyers directly and has been known to really transform some businesses when done right.”
Other social media platforms proved popular among businesswomen. The survey found 72 percent of women have a Facebook fan page for their business and 60 percent have a business Twitter handle.
While social media is becoming mainstream for businesses, many women are not spending enough time on their pages to make an impact, according to Brand Meets Blog director Louise Claire.
“Businesses need to take those networks more seriously as a marketing strategy. It’s not enough to just have an account, you need to know how to use it,” she said.
Female business owners are being encouraged to use online social media in order to keep up with new methods of marketing and sales.
“2011 was the year social media went mainstream, 2012 needs to be the year businesswomen determine which platforms are providing them with the greatest return – and work, ” O’Brien said.
The survey polled more than 700 businesswomen about their social media habits.
