eMarketer: Women are spending more time on social media

Social media friends trust influencers most

Women are spending more time on social networks - particularly platforms other than Facebook, even though the social giant remains the most popular network.

According to a study conducted by SheKnows and Harris Interactive in August on female social network users in the United States, 79% of users aged 25-54 log in to Facebook regularly. In contrast, only 35% of respondents said they would log in to YouTube, while 30% of them would log in to Pinterest, 22% to Twitter, and only 13% to Instagram.

But women spend the most time on Pinterest and Instagram. Nearly half of respondents who regularly visit social networks say they’ve spent more time on Pinterest or Instagram this year — and more than two-thirds say the same about Instagram. A smaller number of respondents (30%) say they’ve visited Facebook more often.

However, Facebook is still the most active platform. As can be seen from the communication chart, Facebook is far ahead of other platforms. The average respondent has 250 contacts on Facebook, compared to 163 on Twitter and only 89 on Instagram.

The study found that women have many differences in their social networking habits. Millennial women are more likely to follow more brands than their elders. These young women also said they care more about the responses they receive to their posts.

“Women use social networks to help build their identities,” said Samatha Skey, chief revenue officer at SheKnows. “They seek responses and validation — a concept that extends from the personal to the business side, as women not only post photos and status updates of their children, but also ask questions and get recommendations for products and services.”

Social networks remain the most trusted place. When asked about the most trusted influencers, 62% of respondents said they met friends on social media. Editors' favorite websites accounted for 15%, and blogs accounted for 7%.