Marketing to moms is more important than you think

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the supermoms out there!

This year, Americans will spend an average of $163 on gifts for mom. But grateful family members aren’t the only ones who shop. Moms are a powerful consumer force, though whether or not they do the lion’s share of household shopping is up for debate.

Because we love moms–and marketers do too–we wanted to know a little bit more about how moms get their shopping on, whether or not they’re doing it online, and what makes them want to buy products.

We sent more than 300 moms a survey using SurveyMonkey Audience–the same survey we used last year, in fact. And it looks like moms are still shopping. A lot. And if you’re a marketer, listen up! Because moms are definitely paying attention to what’s being said about your brand online.

Here at the Monkey, we love following data trends you can use–so we’re using last year’s survey results as a benchmark to show you how moms’ mobile, online, and shopping habits have changed from one year to the next. Their spending power and influence on what other moms are buying are just two more reasons (among many) why moms are on top. (And the data really shows why you should be marketing to moms.)

Of course, it’s no secret that more and more people are using mobile devices to manage many daily tasks, but this year, moms are more likely to own smartphones and tablet devices.

This year, 83% of moms say they own a smartphone, and 60% own a tablet device. (Tweet this.) But what are they doing online?

More mobile devices means more Facebook? Or wanting to spend more time on Facebook means more mobile devices? This chicken-or-egg problem isn’t something we can answer right now. But what we can say is that moms are checking Facebook more often than they were before:

60% of moms access Facebook multiple times a day, compared with last year’s 47%. (Tweet this.) And marketers, take notice–moms are also “liking” more brands. Last year, 59% of moms were following at least one brand on Facebook. This year, 68% of moms are doing so.

So it looks like moms are digging social media for sure. But one thing moms aren’t doing? Reading “Mommy Blogs.” 49% say they don’t read them at all, and 20% say they only read them once every couple of months.

We also wanted to know what moms are up to on their smartphones. For one thing, 39% of moms are spending 1-2 hours on their smartphones every day. And in the past week, 93% of them have used the camera on their smartphone to take pictures. (Maybe they’re posting those pictures to Facebook.)

Moms are also using their smartphones to research products they want to buy. 48% have done that in the last week.

Here’s what moms aren’t doing too much of on their smartphones: They’re still not looking for coupons. This year, only 25% said they’ve searched for coupons using their mobile device in the past week. (Last year it was 21%.)

But that doesn’t mean they’re not shopping. 82% say they go grocery shopping at least once a week. (Tweet this.) Moms are also shopping for consumer goods (like toys, clothing, tech devices, and more) 2-3 times a month (34%), once a week (19%), or more than once a week (7%). And here’s what they’re buying:

Looks like clothing and shoes are the most popular, and moms’ shopping trends include purchasing from retailers like Amazon, Target, and Walmart.

So how are moms deciding which brands suit them best? They’re deciding what to purchase based on word-of-mouth recommendations from friends (17%) and after reading reviews (21%).

Moms are also listening to other moms when it comes time to buy. 66% say they have asked other moms for advice on purchasing decisions. (Tweet this.) And 58% say they research products before making purchases online most or all the time.

And take a look at this:

65% of moms have made a consumer good purchase due to a recommendation they saw online! (Tweet this.)

In a nutshell, companies should be focusing on what people are saying about their products online–and managing bad reviews and complaints on social media the right way. They also should dote on moms. Just like you.

Because it seems like you don’t have time to talk anymore. What has it been, a month?  No, no–don’t worry about her. She’s just glad you’re healthy. You are, aren’t you? (Well maybe if you called her more often, she wouldn’t have to ask…)

How are you celebrating Mother’s Day? Who does the shopping in your household? Let us know in the Comments below!