Moms Use Tech? Shocker! According to BlogHer’s third annual eMoms study, moms turn to social media to enhance their parenting skills and are most likely to build confidence through blogs. And blogs? They rock. In fact, 81% of the BlogHer survey respondents reported that blogs are the number one resource that helps them build confidence about their parenting skills. Facebook and Twitter also factor in, but are less impactful, ranking at 60% and 41% respectively.
Survey results also revealed that “information gleaned from blogs helps moms make decisions for their families.” Surprised? We’re not. After all, blogs continue to be a powerful source of information—even more so than short-form platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Google+. And that’s why it’s so important for businesses and brands to carve out their respective niches in the blogosphere. Moms (and parents) are turning to the Internet for information—that’s not news. And they’re looking to their bloggy friends as well as to mom blog communities like BlogHer and Blissfully Domestic (to name just a few), as well as to brand-sponsored conversations and communities to provide them with the tips and resources that not only make them more knowledgeable, but also make their lives easier, too.
Another marketing takeaway from this year’s survey? Moms aren’t only mobile—they’re hyper-connected to their devices. (Again, this isn’t shocking—the only time my phone isn’t in my hand is when I’m sleeping and then it’s under my pillow!) Eighty-three percent of moms own a smart phone, according to the survey—and mobile phones have replaced computers as the screens that moms rely on the most.
Consider this a huge flashing arrow that’s pointing to your mobile marketing strategy. How does your mobile presence look? Is your brand or business ready and able to serve up information, resources and products to moms on the go? If you have something to sell, this is an area that should be especially critical to your overall digital marketing strategy. The eMoms study reports that only 40 percent of moms say they use their phones for shopping or coupons, which means you’ve got a big opportunity to optimize your e-commerce presence for mobile usage. And because this area is ripe for growth, you can expect these numbers to increase (probably fairly quickly) over the next few years. Would you rather your business be at the front of the mobile commerce pack or lagging behind?
One of the things I loved most about the eMoms study is that it provided insight into toddler tech usage, too. Not only do I still shake my head in amazement at the tools and technology available for kids today, I’m also living it. With a household inhabited by twin six-year-olds and a three-year-old, all of whom are equally as adept with all the iOS devices in our home (of which there are many), I have a front-row seat. Oh, and these kidlets—these are our future demographic, people! And they’re going to be more tapped in than ever when it comes to using technology to live their lives. Need more than just my word on this one? Before the age of 3, 34 percent of toddlers had already used a smart phone (up 27 percent from the 2011 survey). And those numbers? They’re not going down any time soon.
Did you find any of the survey results particularly surprising? And do you use stats like these to help guide (and refine) what your brand or business is doing in the digital space? I’d love to hear your perspective.
Image by Danny Nicholson via Creative Commons
Shelly Kramer is a Principal Analyst and Founding Partner at Futurum Research. A serial entrepreneur with a technology centric focus, she has worked alongside some of the world’s largest brands to embrace disruption and spur innovation, understand and address the realities of the connected customer, and help navigate the process of digital transformation. She brings 20 years’ experience as a brand strategist to her work at Futurum, and has deep experience helping global companies with marketing challenges, GTM strategies, messaging develoment, and driving strategy and digital transformation for B2B brands across multiple verticals. Shelly’s coverage areas include Collaboration/CX/SaaS, platforms, ESG, and Cybersecurity, as well as topics and trends related to the Future of Work, the transformation of the workplace and how people and technology are driving that transformation. A transplanted New Yorker, she has learned to love life in the Midwest, and has firsthand experience that some of the most innovative minds and most successful companies in the world also happen to live in “flyover country.”
