Optism™

Digital Moms in the US are an increasingly important demographic for marketers. Mothers are accumulating more wealth and making more shopping choices and using more technology than the average person. Digital moms are more likely to be owners of smartphones and more likely to consult others when making purchase decisions.

How should mobile marketers tap into this important segment?

Here are a number of mobile stats that can help marketers effectively market to digital moms.

Moms have money. An article from Asking Smarter Questions provides some key statistics about both women and mothers. Moms represent a $2.4 trillion market in the US. By 2028, the average American woman is expected to earn more than the average American male. Women are earning, spending, and influencing spending at a greater rate than ever before, accounting for $7 trillion in consumer and business spending in the US. Women are making more than 85% of all consumer purchases, including more than 50% of traditional male products, such as  cars, power tools and consumer electronics.

Moms are socially connected via mobile. In a study by NM Incite, at least half of moms use social media via mobile devices, compared to 37% of the online population. In an article from Asking Smarter Questions, 64% of moms ask other mothers for advice before they purchase a new product and 63% of all mothers surveyed consider other moms the most credible experts when they have questions. Additionally, 92% pass along information about deals or finds to others. Moms are using Facebook and Pinterest to share tips, product recommendations and shopping deals with their friends.

Moms are savvy and connected shoppers. Moms are 70% more likely to download online coupons from retail marketing websites and 65% more likely to download coupons from a manufacturer’s website than the average person. Additionally, 92% of moms pass along information about shopping deals or finds to others. 55% of moms who use social media daily said they made their purchase because of a recommendation from a personal review blog. Almost 20 million online moms will read blogs and 1 in 3 bloggers are moms. 77% of mom bloggers will only write about products or brands whose reputations they approve of, and another 14% will write about brands or products they boycott.

Moms are demanding mobile users. Nielsen says that some 54% of American moms are using smartphones: considering that the US population just tipped 50 percent for smartphone ownership that means mothers are more likely to be smart phone owners. Additionally, moms are about twice as likely to own either a smartphone or a tablet compared to other women.

Moms have a love/hate relationship with technology. In a Yahoo and Starcom MediaVest Group study, 71% of moms said that technology was part of family together time, while 52% said that technology was a distraction.

Not all digital moms are the same. Advertising Agency MWW surveyed 1,000 moms to better understand their use of digital and social media. They found five digital mom archetypes; Mobilizers (Younger, hyper-connected moms using mobile), Urban Originals (influential taste-makers), Practical Adopters (working moms who use technology to stay ahead), Casual Connectors (Older moms who use mobile technology to connect with their kids), Wallflowers (Younger moms who are consumers of media). Providing multiple means to connect with these subgroups is important.

Moms are more likely to shop online. Women account for 58% of all total online spending and 22% shop online at least once a day according to Asking Smarter Questions.

Moms are more likely to become a fan or follow a brand online. When using social media, moms are 38 percent more likely to become a fan of or follow a brand online, and moms who blog are more than twice as likely to follow brands and celebrities compared to the online average.

Conclusion

Digital Moms are mobile-equipped, multi-tasking, socially-connected, family-protecting, brand-loyal, savvy-shoppers. They are well informed consumers who share what they know with other mothers.  What are the keys to tapping into the digital mom juggernaut? Be relevant and authentic. Meet them online where they are. Provide moms with tools, lists and apps to help them manage their lives. Take the time to understand their needs, build their trust and deliver on your promises and you just might be lucky enough to have a new army of brand loyalists.