Technology plays a vital role in the lives of today’s moms. Two in three (65%) use at least five separate technologies, including wireless devices, video, and blogs, to get through the day, according to BSM Media.
This adoption of technology is fundamentally changing moms’ relationship with marketers. “It’s marketing with moms, not to moms,” says BSM Media’s Maria Bailey. “You need to think of them as a marketing partner rather than a consumer.”
Technology has also made moms trendsetters. “It used to be that when moms adopted something, it signaled that it has reached common mass, but moms now fall on the cool end of the spectrum,” says analyst Lisa Finn. “Moms in Iowa can be just as cool as moms in New York.”
Listen Before Entering Social Media
Before mom-focused brands enter the social media space, whether it’s setting up a Twitter account, Facebook page or a blog, Bailey cautions they need to listen to moms. “I recommend the first thing they do every morning is type in [the company] name or product, or a problem that the product can help with, and find out what moms are saying about them.”
What a brand says is more important than how many times it says it. For instance, Bailey believes two to three tweets a day is sufficient and video clips should run between three to five minutes.
Moms tend to care more about the overall message than about polished, high quality content. “I am shocked at how savvy moms are about marketing tactics and terminology,” says Finn.
Moms tend to be connecting more on Twitter, Facebook, and via video rather than blogs these days. Over 75% of moms are on Facebook, compared to just one in three moms who blog, according to BSM Media. The moms signing onto Facebook are frequent users. More than eight in 10 moms (83%) log on daily, with 30% signing on at least five times a day, according to “Marketing To Moms On Facebook,” a report by analyst Lisa Finn and Lucid Marketing.
Although moms use Facebook primarily to interact with friends, they are receptive to marketers. “They get turned off if [an ad] wastes their time. They strongly dislike ads that turn out to be too good to be true, like [ones that promise] winning a free laptop,” says Finn. One in 10 moms (10%) visit Facebook to check out products or companies, according to the Finn/Lucid study. Three in four moms (76%) are fans of at least one company and 17% are fans of more than 10 companies.
Finn shares some of the more effective ways to reach and engage moms on social networks:
• The message must be relevant and targeted. Irrelevant messages not only are unlikely to attract her attention, but they actively turn her off, says Finn.
• Make a clear offer with immediate value, such as a coupon or limited-time discount.
• Allow ads to be easily shared with friends. Reward true fans with special discounts they can share.
• Treat fans like friends by using a warm, familiar tone in updates, but do not post too frequently. “They go on a lot of time, but only for a few minute intervals. Their time is very fragmented and they are likely to be paying attention to six things at once.”
• Allow them to contribute by introducing interactive promotions, open-source products, and other ideas that allow them to create and share their ideas. [Social Media/Technology]
Contacts and Connections: BSM Media, Maria Bailey, Co-founder, 2335 E. Atlantic Blvd., #300, Pompano Beach, FL 33062; 954-943-2322, x2; maria@bsmmedia.com; www.bsmmedia.com.
“Marketing to Moms on Facebook,” Lucid Marketing, Kevin Burke, Founder, 2 N. Main St., Allentown, NJ 08501; 609-208-2150; kevin_burke@lucidmarketing.com; www.lucidmarketing.com. Also, Lisa Finn, lisa@lisafinn.com.
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