HispanicBusiness

Research released today by global public relations firm Weber Shandwick identifies a sizable segment of North American women who enjoy using their social networks so much that they prefer socializing online over dating or spending time with their partner.

Weber Shandwick partnered with KRC Research to conduct Digital Women Influencers, an online survey of 2,000 North American women. The purpose of the study was to identify segments of women who are influential in social media and to provide new and unique insights about the female market as marketers and communicators evolve their strategies in this new era of digital engagement. This latest installment of the multi-part study, The Women of Social Media, dimensionalizes the segment of women who spend time using social media and enjoy using social media, accounting for approximately 82 million women in the U.S. alone.

"No successful brand these days can be without a social media engagement plan. Nor can any marketer ignore the strength - in number and influence - of women who use social media," says Marcy Massura, Director, Digital Engagement, Weber Shandwick. "Our research reveals how invested these women are in their social network communities and, based on the results, we offer food for thought to marketers who want to engage these women and tap into their marketplace connectivity."

Vital Social Statistics

______________________________________________________________________________ |86 |Percent of North American women who have a social media account | |__________|___________________________________________________________________| | |Percent of North American women who are Women of Social Media. They| |68 |spend one hour or more each week on their social networks and, on a| | |scale of 1-10, rate their enjoyment of social networking a 5 or | | |higher | |__________|___________________________________________________________________| |82 million|Approximate number of Women of Social Media in the U.S. | |__________|___________________________________________________________________| |10.2 |Number of times during an average month that a Woman of Social | | |Media "likes" or recommends products online | |__________|___________________________________________________________________| |1,600 |Average number of social connections a Woman of Social Media has | |__________|___________________________________________________________________| |62 |Percent of Women of Social Media who say they like that social | | |media lets them control who they talk to and when | |__________|___________________________________________________________________| |24 |Percent of Women of Social Media who say they would rather | | |socialize online than in person | |__________|___________________________________________________________________| Social Media's Emotional ROI The Women of Social Media enjoy their online networks nearly as much as they enjoy live social activities (75 percent and 77 percent, respectively) and, notably, slightly more than dating or spending time with their partner (72 percent). In fact, one-quarter of Women of Social Media (24 percent) prefer to