Reaching Moms with Digital Marketing

By Dana Bojcic Digital Marketing, Digital Media, Facebook, marketing to moms, Mobile, Online marketing

Of the 80 million millennials in the U.S., one-quarter are now parents. Statistics also show that 83% of new moms are millennials. According to a recent report from Nielsen, some 39% of women aged 18-49 in the US have a child under the age of 12, including 46% of women aged 35-49.

Why does this matter to marketers? Because millennial women tend to control the purse strings in most households, and with millennial parents wielding $200 billion in spending power, marketers have a lot to lose by not getting it right. So how do you reach her?

It’s important to recognize times have changed from previous generations. In the past, moms went to their own mothers for advice and while family is still an excellent foundation for parenting advice, the Web (in particular social media) offers tips that might not be in Grandma’s area of proficiency.

In addition to family, 84 percent of millennial moms rely on recommendations from trusted peers. And where are those peers? Online. It’s a cultural shift to be certain, considering that 60 percent of mothers use social media every day.

How is she getting online? What devices is she using? According a recent Nielsen study regarding device usage among this group, the study shows the highest usage among PCs, smartphones and tablets:

Now that we know what devices to use, what digital marketing platforms work best? Number one would be Facebook. Facebook is among millennial moms top 5 websites (Facebook, Google, Yahoo, Amazon and Ebay).

Utilizing all the options and targeting capabilities on Facebook is an excellent way to connect with moms.

Mobile Conquesting is another great option, as smartphone usage for mothers is strong: Stay-at-home mom users averaging 22 hours and 43 minutes weekly with their devices compared to 20 hours and 41 minutes weekly for working mothers.

And don’t forget our more straightforward marketing and targeting options: The Moms and Family Ad Network, Behavioral Categories (Parenting, Baby Care, Child Care), Retargeting, and Keywords.