Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
With its inclusivity and incredible opportunities, social media is helping put women entrepreneurs on the map. Let me tell you how.
Over the last decade, there has been a seismic shift in how people do business. A fair amount of this can be attributed to the advent of social media and its impact across industries. Couple that with the fact that almost everyone’s primary audience is now increasingly spending time online. It just makes perfect marketing sense to go to them instead of hoping they will notice you first.
There has also been a promising increase in the number of women entrepreneurs that are stepping out into the spotlight. Especially small home-grown businesses, many of which have flourished despite the pandemic. Much of this expansion can be credited to social media.
For many women entrepreneurs, the advantages of social media have been two-fold. Many women are returning to the workforce after having had children so the work-from-home model actually suits them perfectly well.
Not having a brick-and-mortar establishment is no longer a deterrent as virtual market places have become the norm for businesses and consumers. An increasing number of big and small businesses now use social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook to promote and sell their goods and services almost exclusively.
According to a study by the World Conference on Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, “flexibility has been enthusiastically welcomed since it is believed that it provides a balance between work and personal life, especially in terms of women’s participation. While concerning flexibility much of the literature focuses on women in terms of their family responsibilities. It is argued that flexible work arrangements help women with children by reducing their stress. Thus, they become more productive and satisfied with their jobs.”
If you study the impact and financial success of women entrepreneurs globally, you will find that much of it can be linked to unlocking opportunities online. In fact, it has become vital.
As new ventures increase so has the creative use of social media to promote everything. Right from fashion, beauty and jewellery brands to home bakers and pay-per-consult tarot readers, everything can easily be promoted.
In large women’s communities, they are now able to connect with each other to promote, network, support and access each other’s businesses from the comfort of their own homes. This is something they could never have done at this scale without social media.
The key to building a successful business online is identifying and targeting the right audience. There is also a trust factor that enables women to circumvent the unnecessary noise, harassment and clutter they often face online and a common spirit to build each other up.
The old fallacy that women are “technologically challenged” has been debunked by a new generation of tech-savvy women entrepreneurs. And the traditional goal of finding a job has evolved into women now in the business creating them.
According to a report in empoweress.in, women never had an easy path to enter the land of entrepreneurship and gain economic independence. Traditionally, women have been discouraged from working or building their independent businesses. But eventually, contemporary women are beginning to find success by building microbusinesses that rely on online tools like social media.
Indian women in particular rely on social media for attracting the attention of new customers. Sixty-three percent of these enterprises use social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook for promotion.
The role of social media in business allows female entrepreneurs to connect not only with other women who are building businesses but with their idyllic customers. Internet and the use of social media in business has made entrepreneurship newly accessible for millions of female entrepreneurs around the world. Last year, 163 million women became entrepreneurs and commenced businesses. Women are gradually stepping into their power as the culture shifts to be more inclusive.
So there you have it! Inclusivity, access, opportunity and an Internet connection is most definitely putting women in entrepreneurship on the map. Something that is having a positive impact on economies around the world.
A version of this was earlier published here.
Picture credits: Image by Chokniti Khongchum via Canva Pro
Malini Agarwal a.k.a MissMalini is the Founder & Creative Director of MissMalini Entertainment, a leading media lifestyle brand that creates highly engaging, multi-platform content geared towards India's Internet Generation. Malini is read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
Please enter your email address