10 Top Social Media Platforms
for Professional Women
Social media has been around long enough that the platforms available to you have probably changed, so it’s important to know which are the best options out there right now. To help you decide, we’ve picked 10 top social media platforms, focusing on ones most relevant to professional women today. Here they are in order of popularity: 1) YouTube, 2) Facebook, 3) Instagram, 4) Tiktok, 5) Snapchat, 6) Reddit, 7) Pinterest, 8) Twitter, 9) LinkedIn, and 10) Medium.
1) YouTube
YouTube is a great way to promote yourself, show off your expertise and even make extra money. Female social media stars can rake in anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand per day via YouTube ad revenue and sponsored content. But it’s not just about views; having an engaged audience is key to generating real income on YouTube—you want people watching your videos, liking them and, hopefully, commenting on them or sharing them. Make sure you have a strong presence on YouTube by maintaining a strong profile and uploading quality videos regularly.
2) Facebook
Facebook is arguably still the most powerful social media platform, especially if you’re looking to reach a younger generation of professionals. The great thing about Facebook as a professional networking tool is that it offers myriad ways to interact with other professionals. You can post on your page, comment on other people’s posts, tag someone in an update and more. If your brand has a brick-and-mortar location or you have a physical business card, be sure to list your address or location so that people can connect with you offline, too.
3) Instagram
Many women say Instagram is their favorite social media platform. With roughly one billion monthly active users, it’s a great place to share pictures, videos and daily content, either on your own profile or as part of a larger community. The feed is especially powerful because it allows you to chronologically organize images into stories, which disappear after 24 hours. If you’re looking to build awareness about your business, reach out to influencers in your industry who have a healthy following—just make sure they are on Instagram! To network with fellow professionals, use hashtags like #womenwhowork and #girlboss or connect with other users by commenting on their posts.
4) Tiktok
Tiktok is a mobile app (iOS, Android) that allows users to create short video clips and share them in groups with other users. Think of it as a user-generated platform much like Vine or Snapchat. Tiktok is best used by individuals looking to create entertaining video content that’s easy to share online.
5) Snapchat
This photo-based social media platform is useful as a visual way to see what your friends are up to without having to engage in a text conversation. It’s perfect for behind-the-scenes peeks into work life, vacation snaps and more. On Snapchat, you can send quick video messages that disappear shortly after they’re viewed. For example, you can ask your boss how her meeting went or send a quick update about your trip to London via video. Snaps expire within 10 seconds of viewing so be sure to include an additional method of contacting you (e.g., email address) in case people want more information about what they’ve seen.
6) Reddit
Reddit is a social news aggregation and discussion website. What sets it apart from similar sites is that users can post both links and text posts, allowing people to comment on anything they find interesting. The site also allows you to customize your personal front page so that you’re only seeing relevant content—making it one of the more popular social media networks with businesspeople. So if Reddit is so awesome, why isn’t it higher up on our list? We love Reddit, but like many other people in the industry, we have just one issue with it: there are no analytics.
7) Pinterest
Pinterest is perfect for sharing visual inspiration, whether it’s an outfit you love or a recipe you want to try. Pinterest users can comment on other pinners’ content, which makes it easy to share tips and tricks with each other. It’s also great for finding new businesses and brands to follow on Facebook or Twitter. And remember that companies often use Pinterest to show off their products (so make sure your profile is up-to-date). This site is a must-have if you're in any creative industry—or if you just like looking at pretty things.
8) Twitter
After a rough few years, Twitter has emerged as one of most useful social networks on which to engage with other women in your industry. No matter what field you’re in, odds are there is an active group of women with whom you can connect and exchange ideas via Twitter. There are also some great resources and support groups on Twitter that cater specifically to professional women, including LinkedIn’s very own #WomenInBusiness network. And if you don’t yet have a personal Twitter account, now would be a good time to start one. Not only can it be a valuable networking tool, but it can also help establish you as an expert in your field and make your name searchable by recruiters or hiring managers.
9) LinkedIn
LinkedIn is perhaps your most important social media tool as a professional woman. Its professional network lets you connect with potential colleagues, employers, and employees; helps you find jobs; and gives you access to a wealth of knowledge through groups and publications. As an added bonus, LinkedIn’s website contains tons of useful career-related content (including job listings). It also allows users to highlight accomplishments (via experience highlights) in their education, employment history, awards, or skills—an option that other social media sites don’t offer. And lastly, LinkedIn offers paid premium services such as InMail that allow users to directly contact other members without first being approved by them.
10) Medium
A free service where you can create and post articles, as well as upvote articles you like. It’s a great way to meet other writers and see what others are doing on social media. (If you want to get paid for your writing, join their partner program — more on that below.) Medium also has a ton of different interest areas (called tags) so it’s a great place to find a community that matches your interests. And since everyone has Medium accounts, it’s easy to keep an eye on people in your industry and try to connect with them via their profiles or comments they leave on articles they like. Another fun feature is that most read tag – which I often stalk!
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