True or False: Men rock at cosmetics connections while women round up ranching and take over the tobacco industry. That’s all true – if you’re talking about networking on LinkedIn.
And – get this – LinkedIn reports men are more savvy than women when it comes to social networking.
Are you surprised? Read on . . . As a woman and blogger who’s written about LinkedIn for five years now, I am intrigued.
But, that’s the point of PR – right? We like to encourage curiosity so people will start talking and thinking.
One way to do that is to come up with some compelling statistics, based on research that only your company has.
Today LinkedIn released a “Networking Savviness Index” that finds that globally, and in the U.S., men are savvier online professional networkers than women.
According to the LinkedIn blog the goal of this research was to: surface differences and spark a discussion as to why the behaviors in each industry or company exist.
It’s true, while ladies love social networking, LinkedIn is not necessarily a woman’s social networking bff.
How LinkedIn Generated the US “Networking Savviness Index”
LinkedIn’s analytics team used members’ current industry, current company, and professional connections – and made educated guesses about gender based on the user’s first name. [More on the name game, LinkedIn and leadership.]
LinkedIn defines online professional networking savviness as a ratio of two things:
1.) the ratio of connections that men have to connections that women have and
2.) the ratio of male members on LinkedIn to female members.
So, an industry is “female savvy” when, for example, 45% of the industry is female and where women have 70% of the connections. A perfectly neutral industry is one in which the % of females in the industry is equal to the % of connections that women have in the industry.
LinkedIn Stat 63% to 37% How Men Outnumber Women
Question: Do you think this stat skews the savviness ratio?
Nearly twice as many men use LinkedIn (63 percent compared with 37 percent of women). All other social networking sites have significantly more female users than male users. [Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project, Social networking sites and our lives, June 16, 2011]
Answer:
According to LinkedIn, no.
This means despite the fact that there are more female professionals in the cosmetics industry, men in the cosmetics industry tend to have larger networks and send more invitations than the women in that industry. In the tobacco and ranching industries, it was the female professionals that were savvier networkers than men (even taking into account the fact that the male to female ratio is higher in those industries). LinkedIn’s data analytics team believes this could be because the minority sex has to network harder than the dominant sex to break into those industries.
Top U.S. industries where women are savvier online professional networkers than men
1. Alternative dispute resolution
2. Tobacco
3. Alternative medicine
4. Ranching
5. International trade and development
If you’re interested in reaching large numbers of people in these industries, search for groups on LinkedIn. For example, here’s the Cattle Ranchers group on LinkedIn.
Top U.S. industries where men are savvier online professional networkers than women
1. Medical practice
2. Hospital & health care
3. Cosmetics
4. Law enforcement
5. Capital markets
To find people within companies, search the LinkedIn Company Page.
LinkedIn Tips : Three “Battle of the Sexes” Tips and Tricks to Increase Your Savviness Ranking
LinkedIn offers these tips to increase your savviness ranking:
Use LinkedIn Mobile to prepare before networking events
Check out LinkedIn Mobile to see where people work, what position they have, how long they’ve been there and if you have any connections in common.
Mingle Outside of Your Comfort Connection Zone
Your LinkedIn network should be made up of at least 50 connections you know and trust, but you should also actively look for new connections. Find new connections by joining LinkedIn Groups focused on topics you’re passionate about.
Trade in a Rookie Scoreboard for a Pro Dashboard
Look at your LinkedIn Homepage like your own professional dashboard chock full of useful reasons to reach out to your network. When a connection gets promoted or lands a new client, reply or send an inmail to say congratulations and ask them what they are working on.
Thanks to LinkedIn’s PR team for sending this information over for me to share with you.
Check the related posts below for more information on how to perfect your LinkedIn presence.
AND – please share or comment. We want to know what you think. Thanks!!!
Linkedin Tips 10 Ways to Become a Subject Matter Expert
LinkedIn Tips 10 More Ways to Become a Subject Matter Expert
LinkedIn Checklist for Getting Your Next Job or New Client
LinkedIn 101 for Women Entrepreneurs -How to Connect & Build Business
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