How Are Women Using The Digital Medium To Communicate With The Masses? Let’s Find Out

The digital medium has revolutionsed the way women communicate with the outside world. There’s no stopping us now say #WomenOnTheMove.

Digitization has revolutionized the way women communicate. The internet has helped in amplifying ideas and is playing a crucial role in placing campaigns around women’s rights at the centre of public debate. The campaigns can reach millions in seconds and with smart and careful social media planning, they can hit the ground running.

The virtual space has given women the much needed platform to voice their opinions. It is giving women the opportunity to connect with like minded audiences and engage in meaningful discussions. Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Quora etc are useful tools for people who want to rally support for important causes or engage with the public about a topic of interest.

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Why do women blog?

Digital media platforms, such as blogging and social media, give women an excellent opportunity to reach out to like-minded people. But why do they need to reach out to people and what are the factors that prompt women to blog? Let’s know from #WomenOnTheMove.

Love of writing

A1. I started my personal blog for the love of writing. The training blog was meant to establish an online presence as social media became more imp. #WomenOnTheMove https://t.co/x4k3I4Zwv3

— Suman Kher (@Suman_Kher) December 6, 2017

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Encouragement from friends

#WomenOnTheMove My friend @SaburiKarve encouraged me to write blogs which could serve the needs of digital traffic.

— Saili Chavan (@SailiChavan) December 6, 2017

Encouragement from family

A1. My daughter is the inspiration for my blog. 😊 But I owe my blog’s existence to my mom who asked me to write it all down and my husband who recommended that I do it on a blog. #WomenOnTheMove

— Shailaja V 📝 (@shyvish) December 6, 2017

Maternity breaks

I was always writing but when this hobby found some space to breathe during my post pregnancy break, it just popped into my head one day that I should start a poetry blog and i did.I’ve observed that this phase has been a catalyst in the lives of many women who write.

— Richa S Mukherjee (@richashrivas) December 6, 2017

To connect with like-minded people

A1. My experiences as a single mom was helpful for a few friends, hence started my blog to reach out to other moms in similar situations. #WomenOnTheMove

— Vaishali Gandhi (@vaishali178) December 6, 2017

The challenges women face

From family responsibilities to being on the receiving end of vicious trolling to not being taken seriously for voicing opinions on topics that are primarily seen as male dominated, women have to deftly manage a number of challenges, both online and offline.

Women have to juggle many roles

A2. Being a housewife, mother and a writer plus a blogger, responsibilities I’d say. They just don’t get you enough time to think let alone sit and write #WomenOnTheMove

— Priyanka Baranwal (@AuthorPriyanka) December 6, 2017

Opinions shared run a risk of not being identified as worthy enough

Also, when you get identified as a woman writer/blogger, you limit your audiences. Only people interested in women’s topics would read you. Mostly women and fewer men. But when you are not categorized as a woman writer/blogger, you have a wider reach.

— Puja Upadhyay (@pujaupadhyay_) December 6, 2017

A2. I know it sucks to hear this, but the most common one I’ve come across is that women writers are not taken seriously. Whatever genre we write in, whatever topics we explore, there’s always someone refusing to read us just cos we’re women writers #WomenOnTheMove https://t.co/pu5xYSJs5D

— Sreesha (@pepperstarfish) December 6, 2017

Cyber bullying and trolling

A2. Cyber bullying is a big challenge. When people cannot logically argue about a point we’re making they go on to insults, abuses, and character assaults just because we’re women.

— Kasturi Patra (@PatraKasturi) December 6, 2017

Two things which most of you have mentioned. 1. Trolls. Especially when it comes to women voicing opinions. Any opinion for that matter. The trolls crawl out of woodwork and make it a point that they not just disagree, but also character assassinate the writer. A big deterrent.

— Ell.P. (@priyaram14) December 6, 2017

Building a powerful brand online — but how?

Despite, the risks of the virtual world, there’s no denying the fact that in recent years, social media has emerged as a powerful tool for online communities not only in raising awareness and organising campaigns on a wide range of issues, but also reaching out to people in a very short period of time. It has given women the much needed tool to reach a broad audience quickly. Women writers and bloggers have carved a niche for themselves in the online world. However, building a strong brand presence in the online world is not easy. #WomenOnTheMove have some excellent suggestions for people who are starting out.

Being consistent helps in building a brand people identify with

A3:
*Be yourself.
* Be consistent across social media channels. Pick a platform, spend time studying it and getting better at it.
*Offer help when you can. #WomenOnTheMove

— Shailaja V 📝 (@shyvish) December 6, 2017

Engage with the audience

A3. 1. Write/blog consistently
2. Post your content on social media
3. Interact with people online
4. Always reply to comments
5. Stay unfazed by negative comments #WomenOnTheMove https://t.co/tMIucrhgxb

— Suman Kher (@Suman_Kher) December 6, 2017

Content is king!

A3. Being a freelancer, blogger, poet and an author, I know 5 things work – good content, persistence, networking, reading and craziness to deliver what u feel about. #WomenOnTheMove

— Priyanka Baranwal (@AuthorPriyanka) December 6, 2017

A3: #WomenOnTheMove Keep writing on the topics whom you are knowledgeable about, write in simple lucid language, write stuff which is relatable, interact with the readers, share your blogs.

— RitwikaM (@RitwikaM) December 6, 2017

Be yourself!

#WomenOnTheMove Be honest. Do your research. Be knowledgable about your subject/product. Use visuals when required. Have a good sense of humor and be aware of contemporary topics. Have a unique voice, one that doesn’t get lost in the media crowd. USP matters.

— Puja Upadhyay (@pujaupadhyay_) December 6, 2017

Keep an eye out for trending topics

1. Persistence is the key.
2. Keep your finger on the pulse of what’s trending. Being a fiction writer, I find that hard to do. But I’ve realised, most writers who write on trending/burning issues, do gain traction.
3. Invest a little in marketing budget. This helps a lot.

— Ell.P. (@priyaram14) December 6, 2017

Image: Pixabay

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