Key Insights for Marketing to Moms Online

Mothers are the gateway to sales — women make 85% of purchasing decisions in a household, and often that women is a mom. She’s not just buying for herself; she’s also buying for the baby, the toddler, the teenager and for the entire soccer team. And she’s not just buying Cheerios and baby wipes — she’s purchasing electronics and other household items, sometimes even from her smartphone, since 70% of moms now own smartphones.

Many moms used to stay home and watch soap operas while they cleaned the house, taking in ads for Dove and Johnson and Johnson (hence the "soap"). But today’s moms are much more dynamic: they have access to online tools, and they use them to fight feelings of isolation and maintain relationships — the rise of Facebook, Twitter and blogs have given moms a place to congregate, share opinions and build friendships. So, for brands, earning a mom’s attention and trust can be a gold mine and a path to other moms. But how do you do it?

Here are the key findings about moms  (Ref: Burst Media)

Moms make online “me time.” 9-in-10 (91.9%) go online daily for personal use.
Moms are very mobile. (61.5%) frequently use a smartphone and/or tablet to visit websites and/or check in on social networks.
Moms post about brands online. Social networks (62.2%), shopping/ retail sites (55.9%) and blogs/independent sites (32.4%) are where moms review, question and comment on products and services.
Moms share coupons on social media. Nearly 3-in-5 (56.1%) share or post product coupons and sales incentives on social media.
Moms share their online time. One-quarter (26.4%) share at least half of their total online time with their child(ren).
Moms are “Chief Decision Makers.” Three-quarters (75.8%) either make or influence the household’s purchase of banking, financial services, or retirement products.

Read on to find out what moms love, what they hate and what you should do to win their approval and loyalty.

Look at What Works
There are always commercials that get people talking — pay attention to what it is that makes people love them so much. There should be a theme of family and sentimentality, but there’s also humor and a depiction of mom as a do-it-all badass. Moms aren’t so busy that they’re averse to humor, so don’t be afraid give them a chuckle. "To some extent, you’re looking for entertainment, so ads that break through and are entertaining are appreciated.

Make It Snappy
We know, moms are busy. Therefore, if you’re looking to engage a mom, keep it brief. It’s better to have a 30-second spot than a minute-long one that she turns off halfway through. Moms appreciate and value efficiency. Brands should respectful of a mom’s time on all platforms — advertisements, Facebook games, online and on the telephone with customer service. Better yet, make it snappy and useful.

Don’t Stereotype
Soccer moms. Helicopter moms. Wired moms. Boomer moms. Gen Y moms. These are some of the terms marketers use to define their target market. But would a mom ever describe herself as any of these? Probably not. So don’t pigeonhole them. Too often, advertising depicts moms as either a frazzled, frenetic mess or a Desperate Housewives-esque model of perfection. In reality, moms lie somewhere in the middle of this continuum.

There are probably a million stock photography images you can dig up of a mom feeding a baby with a bottle while at the computer doing work in a suit but I personally find that much of the portrayal of moms in advertising and in media is really stereotypical and a bit of a turn-off.

Be Real
Mothers appreciate honesty and realism in communications, and they want to be treated as intelligent and smart and more than just a mom. A mom is a wife, a sister, a coworker and more — and she wants to be acknowledged in each of these roles.

Make Plays on Facebook
Social media connect moms (and mom bloggers), leading to a snowball effect that will help a brand find success. Facebook is the social platform where moms tend to spend the most time, and often where they go to share or consume information about brands and products. Therefore, Facebook is best for a mainstream audience, while Twitter targets a more affluent, tech-savvy mom. This high-tech mom can be used as an influencer (see "Moms Talk" below), but Twitter might not be the best way to get to an average mom.

But while social media is a cost-efficient way to engage consumers, it doesn’t come without risks. You don’t want to reach out to more consumers than you can handle, or else you’re setting yourself up for failure. "It’s important to understand the risk profile — you don’t want to inadvertently spread negative word of mouth.

Focusing Your Efforts on Marketing to Moms
Marketing experts emphasize that virtually every retail segment needs to increase its emphasis on marketing to moms. Business owners in relevant industries would be wise to take a very close look at their marketing plans for 2016 and make sure that they are targeting this segment and reaching them in the areas that they can be found the most.

Targeting mothers on social media and on their mobile devices is a great place for business owners to start, given how much time moms are spending in these areas. Take a look at your current marketing efforts in relation to the information above as a way to create an effective marketing strategy that will best allow you to start reaching out to mothers today!