Nowhere to Run to, Baby: Moms' Social/Mobile Web Use Up by 400%
The days of moms covertly stalking their children on MySpace or freaking out over Facebook party pics are not-so-slowly shifting to headier days of proactive moms using the Internet to meet their own needs.
A new study from BabyCenter shows that mothers' social media use has increased 462 percent over the past three years. The same group's mobile web usage is up 348 percent over the same period of time. And these moms aren't just keeping tabs on secretive teenagers. They're networking for themselves, finding answers online, and sharing stories about their offspring. The two-part study was conducted between 2006 and 2009 in conjunction with NovaQuant. BabyCenter also conducted a series of 18 in-depth surveys between January and June of 2009
This "21st Century Moms Report" states that the number of mothers using social networks has risen from 11 percent to 63 percent since 2006. And there's good news for brands who are using the same networks. According to the BabyCenter press release, "Forty-four percent [of moms on the social web] use social media for word-of-mouth recommendations on brands and products, and 73 percent feel they find trustworthy information about products and services."
As far as hardware is concerned, almost all moms - 91 percent - say they never leave home without a mobile device. More than half say they have replaced traditional photo albums with online photo-sharing services. And moms are also the primary console gamers in the household after the birth of a first or second child.
Health is an important vertical for digital moms. Again, the report reads, "In online communities, children's health issues are the leading topic of interest in online communities (91 percent), followed by childhood development tips (79 percent)." Mothers are also seeking out expert medical advice, parent-to-parent wisdom, and product reviews via social media.
As Gen X and millenial women and men come of age and start families, their technological preferences are applied to new aspects of life, as well. Longstanding sites such as BabyCenter and niche startups such as LilGrams are in excellent positions to serve the needs of digital parents and connect them to brands, hopefully in ways that are relevant, helpful, and innovative.
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This is a huge market.
Yes its a huge market. Good post keep it up.
You're both correct. It's an *enormous* market, and I think this is one instance where brands aren't using social media nearly enough!
Jolie,
Thanks for the kind mention. We definitely have noticed the same sort of trends in our long journey to this point. That said, it's really amazing and wonderful that parents are able to start to get value for their families as well as themselves from the social tools we've all come to be so accustomed to.
Thanks again!
Greg
One of the trends at CTIA Wireless this year was greater exposure of low-jack style technology for mobile phones for kids and the Mom administrator interface to track one or more children. This is simply a marketing shift from prior technology used in fleet and dispatch worker settings.
As it becomes harder to find a device that doesn't come with a GPS, ubiquitous connectivity, and processing power you'll see a greater expansion on the current social network play to favor smaller close knit networks -- i.e. mom's, dad's, and their uber tracked progeny.
Social tools such as the The Parents Club of Palo Alto and Menlo Park forum at https://www.bigtent.com/groups/pamp is widely used in our area and provides a wealth of information on all topics from brand recommendations to health questions to care recommendations.
With busy lives, it is great to get trusted recommendations in minutes!
What an insulting premise from the start: That moms were online only to poke into their kids' lives. As a mom who's been online dating back to the days of usenet, I have interests that extend far beyond stalking. And that's no recent development.
Yes, the number of women using social media has boomed in recent years. So, for that matter, has the number of Dads. I have to wonder if such an insulting lead would have been written had the study been of parents in general and not just of moms.
Great post, Jolie! I’m actually on both sides of this issue. I’m a mom who blogs and networks online with women like me, and at the same time I work for a company that interfaces with women on the Web. It’s an interesting position to be in.
As a mom, I know I don’t want to feel like someone is trying to sell stuff to me when I’m looking for information about my kids or my own health. I loathe getting through the obvious marketing speak to get to the meat of an article or blog post especially when it is an attempt to be covert.
As a Certified Lactation Counselor and blogger for Lansinoh, it’s important that I share expertise, not our product fact sheets, with moms who seek me out for breastfeeding advice and support. If someone decides to buy Lansinoh products, that’s great but it is about the larger issue—helping moms and their babies breastfeed.
For brands making a place for themselves online, throw out the marketing agenda and PR speak. It’s about connecting with customers one on one. It’s not easy but there is no alternative. There is a place for marketing and PR--just not in social networking.
Gina Ciagne, CLC
Director, Breastfeeding and Consumer Relations
Lansinoh Laboratories
www.bymomsformoms.net
@GinaAtLansinoh