By Amy Chorew
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I found some great information when I recently prepared a class on marketing online to women for the Women’s Council. One amazing statistic: Women make 83 percent of all household purchases in the U.S.

Also, women account for 58 percent of total online spending and complete more online transactions than men do. More than 62 percent of women say they’re the primary decision makers for their families’ healthcare. (Only 27 percent make these decisions jointly with their spouses/partners, parents or adult children).

For one thing, the gender gap on social media is growing. It’s no shock that men and women act differently online. The Web is an extremely social medium, with Web 2.0 being all about social networking. Men traditionally are early adopters when it comes to technology, but with social media women have been at the forefront.

Women are much more relationship driven and less transactional than men. They spend more time on social networks building relationships, communicating with friends, making new friends and more.

Thousands of years ago, we were divided into two groups — the hunters and the nurturers. When men went out hunting, they would keep a prized fishing hole or hunting spot to themselves. Men are programmed to not network unless there is an extreme benefit for them to do so.

Women on the other hand lived the opposite. By nature they nurture. They work together back at the camp, collectively getting the work done and caring for their families. They didn’t compete but cooperated. (Now friends, I am just making a point and poking a little fun here. No reactions on the cave man analogy, please.)

I watch my daughter sharing child care tips on Kellymom. I ask for and find recipes that people share with me on Facebook, and ask where to shop when I am traveling. Women want to make an emotional connection with anything they buy.

So with that said, gear your social marketing campaign to women as a way to make their lives easier through recommendation (deep content). A woman goes online after she has put the kids to bed and needs to find all the answers she needs on your Web site. Make is easy and simple, and she will be a loyal client.

It is the same with houses as with any other commodity. When I was shopping for a new car, I wanted to make sure that I was not going to be intimidated by the car dealers. I did a lot of research and ended up being their worst nightmare because they did not expect a woman to know as much as I did about the car I wanted.

When women call or e-mail you, answer their questions and give them all the details they need to make a decision.

I recently interviewed Holly Buchanan, whose blog is called Marketing to Women Online. According to Buchanan, “In one corner, you have brands, products, services and companies who want women to buy their stuff.” 

In the other corner you have women having all these conversations on the Internet.  Women are writing blogs. They are on Twitter and Facebook. They are in discussion forums, doing research and shopping on the Internet. However, what’s missing is the emotional connection between the two.

“The biggest mistake brands make is thinking they can talk to women directly about their products. Now, I know that sounds crazy, but I’m giving you some tough love here. Women don’t care about your products,” Buchanan said. “Women care about what’s going on in their lives. Women care about things they have emotional connections with.” 

Amy Chorew is a national trainer who is experienced at helping managers and agents maximize the opportunities that technology offers them. Amy also offers CE, GRI and skill development courses across America and Canada, delivered live and through webinar. Register for Amy's next webinar.