How Women-Owned Businesses Can Use Social Media Marketing – Business.com

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Social media offers women-owned businesses an accessible way to share their story, connect with customers and grow.
Starting a business hasn’t always been easy for women. Limited access to funding, smaller professional networks and fewer built-in opportunities have long made entrepreneurship a tougher path. Social media and other digital tools have helped change that. Today, women across industries are using online platforms to reach customers, share their story and grow businesses on their own terms.
If you’re looking to expand your business, a strong social media presence isn’t just helpful; it’s part of how growth happens now. Here’s what you need to know about how social media marketing can help women-owned businesses reach the right customers and build momentum.
Women have long faced obstacles to starting and growing their own businesses, from limited access to capital to smaller professional networks. Social media and other digital tools have helped lower those barriers by making it easier to reach customers, test ideas and market products without a large upfront investment. Here’s how women’s entrepreneurship and social media intersect today:
That reliance on digital tools fits with the scale of women-owned businesses nationwide. Wells Fargo’s 2025 Impact of Women-Owned Businesses report found that women own 14.5 million businesses in the U.S., representing 39.2 percent of all firms and generating $3.3 trillion in annual revenue. With women-owned businesses growing faster than men-owned firms, digital tools like social media are increasingly part of how entrepreneurs compete and grow.
Social media plays an important role for many women entrepreneurs, starting with cost. Many platforms allow business owners to reach and connect with their target audience organically, without investing in expensive ad campaigns, which makes social media especially appealing for newer or leaner businesses.
Amy Bartko, founder of Chatterbox PR & Marketing, encourages female entrepreneurs to go all in when it comes to social media. “When you increase your visibility, you not only grow your brand but also build credibility and expand your reach,” Bartko explained. “It’s about engaging with your audience, sharing your expertise and building relationships that can lead to opportunities.”
Sarah Smith, the founder and CEO of S² Social Studio, emphasized that showing up authentically and consistently is key to getting the most return from social media efforts. “I always tell my clients that they are truly the differentiator in their business,” Smith said. “Their target audience wants to work with them because of who they are and the soul connection that they have.”
Savvy businesswomen also recognize that social media can serve multiple purposes at once, from marketing and branding to customer support. Here are some of the most common ways women entrepreneurs use social platforms to grow their businesses:
Before posting content or choosing platforms, it helps to have a clear plan in place. A social media marketing plan gives your efforts structure and direction, which makes it easier to stay consistent and measure what’s working over time.
Nicole Antoinette Smith, associate professor of instruction at Ohio University and founder of eleV8T, said it’s critical to lay out a plan for your social media marketing before you start. She points to four key reasons why having a plan matters:
Women who see the most success with social media tend to use their platforms consistently and assign each one a clear role within their broader digital marketing strategy. Documenting your content pillars and engagement goals can help you track results more effectively and make thoughtful changes over time.
Women who use social media marketing to grow their businesses know that consistency matters. Whether you manage multiple social media accounts or focus on one platform where your audience is most active, staying organized and intentional makes all the difference.
Bartko finds her LinkedIn business profile particularly useful. “It’s a powerful platform because it targets the trifecta of your audience — your consumer, buyer and media,” she explained. “It allows you to build meaningful relationships, position yourself as an expert and consistently increase visibility in a professional space.”
As social media responsibilities grow, many businesses turn to social media management tools to simplify posting, stay organized and keep up with engagement. These platforms can help you plan content calendars, publish posts across platforms at the same time and track analytics to see what’s performing best. The right tool depends on which platforms you use, how hands-on you want to be and what features matter most to your business. Today, many of these tools also incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) to help with tasks like caption writing and optimal scheduling.
Some of the most popular social media management tools include:
While social media management tools typically come with a monthly cost, they’re often far more affordable than hiring a social media manager. Choosing the right platform comes down to evaluating features, pricing and how well a tool fits your workflow.
Smith also advises business owners not to overlook the value of built-in analytics tools on social media platforms, which can offer valuable insight into what’s actually driving results.
“Business owners often forget to read the data and only focus on the vanity metrics such as followers and likes,” Smith noted. “While those do have some importance, they do not paint the full picture of whether or not you are reaching your goals. Data points, such as reach and external link taps, for example, can help determine what content is resonating most with your audience and converting them into visiting your website, booking a call, etc. The power of data should never be underestimated.”
One of the most valuable aspects of social media is how easily it helps women entrepreneurs connect with one another. Beyond reaching customers, these platforms make it possible to build relationships with like-minded women, share experiences and learn from others navigating similar challenges.
Strong professional networks play an important role in long-term success. A supportive network can lead to practical advice, word-of-mouth referrals and new opportunities, especially in fields like leadership, marketing and advertising. If you’re looking to expand your network, the following organizations offer community, resources and connections for women in business:
Whether you’re launching a solopreneur venture or scaling a larger operation, it helps to think of yourself as a leader from day one. There are plenty of online tools available to support women in business, but growth starts with mindset. When you approach your work with confidence and intention, leadership follows naturally.
Social media can play a meaningful role in that growth. It gives you a way to promote your business, expand your network and build a personal brand that reflects who you are and what you offer. Used thoughtfully, social media can help you reach farther — and make a bigger impact — than you may have expected when you first started out.
Stepping into a leadership role doesn’t have to feel dramatic or intimidating. For many women, it’s simply about showing up consistently, sharing expertise and trusting the value they bring. As more women build businesses on their own terms, social media remains a powerful tool for visibility, connection and long-term growth.
Julie Thompson contributed to this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.
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