Her Voice Blog

The popularity of various platforms has shifted over the social media age. If there's any app that has stepped up its game over the past five years, it's Instagram. Facebook maintains its users by acting as a population directory to find anyone and everyone, but Instagram and Snapchat have emerged as prime sources of social media entertainment.

Shows like "Mad Men" illustrate the dominating influence of white males during the advertising boom of the 1950s and '60s. Less than 60 years later, marketers are at women's feet. What happened? According to the Boston Consulting Group, women make over three out of four purchasing decisions in the home. Maybe they always have, but now the research is there to validate it. 

Tourism is so important to the Tennessee economy, yet we could do better when it comes to attracting niche groups of women with big bucks to spend. 

As our new president continues to ignite the Twittersphere, and Facebook Live fosters ubiquitous over-sharing of graphic and violent content, let's reflect on the state of social media - where we've been and where we're going. Read more about how brands can stay digitally relevant in my Knoxville News Sentinel/USA Today Network - Tennessee column.