Imagine ‘50s businessmen glad-handing each other over cocktails and bonding over jokes told at their wives’ expense. It’s not too difficult to do, is it? That’s because the image of men networking with each other is pervasive both in Western culture (think HBO’s hit show Mad Men) and reality, where 90% of Fortune 500 CEOs are still men. That said, female business owners contribute about $150 billion to the Canadian economy, so it’s not like they aren’t having an impact.
And that’s not to say that women are incapable of networking with men on their own terms, or that all male executives are leering Don Drapers. But the boys’ club of boardrooms, cocktail lounges, and industry conferences can sometimes feel like they have a ‘No Girls Allowed’ sign hung up on their doors when it comes to female entrepreneurs. There’s also the fact (observation?) that women tend to network differently than men, forming deeper relationships among a more concentrated group within their own gender. Academics call the phenomenon of women executives seeking each other out for mutual support ‘gender homophily’.
The Digital Promise
Then there’s the Internet, which held the utopian promise early on of equality for women in many fields of life, including business. But it’s fair to say it has yet to break the glass ceiling, although it may have cracked it a bit. Today, women are using digital spaces to network with one another, build their businesses, and lift each other up, all while trying to avoid the dangers of being a woman online.
Linking Up
Chief among those digital spaces is LinkedIn. Besides being a place to post their résumés and search for jobs, it’s also a valuable platform for women starting businesses to find female mentors; post thought leadership content that can boost their professional profiles; and build relationships with potential clients, especially if your business is B2B. While the content you post there is unlikely to ‘go viral’, the site’s professional nature can build your career credibility. Plus, it is free from the gender bias that plagues most social media sites.
Social Media Support
Speaking of which, social media has become a relatively inexpensive way for female entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and connect directly with customers – although that connection often comes at a price.
Key among these platforms is Instagram, half of whose two billion active users are female. This visually-focused site is a haven for so-called ‘influencers’, but it’s also a great space to tell a compelling story around your business/brand and engage with current and future customers via compelling original content.
Building out those same relationships on X (formerly Twitter), where controversial content drives engagement these days, is a far greater challenge for women. This is especially true given the steep rise in misogyny on the site since billionaire Elon Musk bought it in 2022.
Accessing Digital Communities
For professional women looking for friendlier and more supportive spaces to network online, there are a number of digital communities, some of which are local and others global. These include Ladies Get Paid, whose members aim to close the gender pay gap; the Canadian Women’s Network, which connects female Canadian business founders with American investment; and the Ottawa-based Women’s Business Network. These digital communities are populated by supportive women eager to help others as well as themselves.
Participation in these networks can in turn lead to accessing online webinars, virtual conferences, and relevant Meetup groups. The exponential growth in access to digital resources, sources of investment, and mentorship opportunities is likewise impressive. A professional website is also a key hub for both selling your products and services, as well as communicating with customers.
Stay Vigilant, Stay Connected
Making meaningful business connections online is a battle for female entrepreneurs, as real-world prejudices have followed women onto most social media sites and internet forums. Indeed, sexual harassment by male trolls with stereotyped notions about a woman’s place both online and IRL is widespread. (There’s a reason why There Are No Girls on the Internet is a popular feminist podcast and meme.) But digital tools like the ones outlined here have boosted businesswomen in ways that – just maybe – have added a few more cracks to that glass ceiling.
Sean Plummer | Contributing Writer
