Word-of-mouth, often shared online, is most trusted source
Modern moms are older, more confident and more connected than ever before, according to the WhatToExpect.com report “Delivering a Mom: How today’s New Moms Learn, Decide & Buy.”
The technologies moms find most useful for parenting information are those that put them in touch with other moms. Search engines, email, social networks and customer reviews topped the list.
- Search Engines = 69%
- Email = 54%
- Social Network Sites = 30%
- Online Consumer Reviews = 23%
- Text Messaging (SMS) = 17%
- Blogs = 14%
- News Sites = 13%
That communication is paramount to moms is a big reason why they are much more likely to be online in the first place than women in general (90% vs. 76% in 2010, eMarketer estimates). Marketers that find ways to facilitate conversations between moms will find a receptive audience.
Experienced moms and other influencers are great targets for marketers because other moms will actively seek their advice. The most important sources for learning about products boiled down to parenting websites and word-of-mouth from other moms. The much-discussed “mommy blogs” came in last, but this could be misleading as many people don’t distinguish between a website and a blog.
And according to research from TRU and Oxygen/NBC Universal, women who are “in transition”—which includes new and expectant moms—are more likely to have a social network profile, have about 43% more social network friends on average, and are more likely to recommend brands and pass on coupons, making them the ideal influencers for marketers to target.
Other statistics marketers should consider when targeting this audience, according to WhatToExpect.com:
- Moms on average are 25 years old when they have their first child, nearly four years older than in 1970.
- 36% of moms are “nontraditional,” meaning widowed, separated, divorced or never married.
- 20% of moms were born or raised outside the US.
