10 Tips for Marketing to Moms Online

As a digital marketer and a mom, I’m fascinated by insights on the best ways to reach the mom consumer and the type of content to use. A 2015 Google study showed that 83% of moms search the Internet to answer their questions¹ (who doesn’t?), and most articles say moms want DIY or how-to videos. But to connect with moms, you will need to do more than show us how to swaddle a newborn.

Think about it this way—moms are often the household decision makers, the schedule keepers and the 24/7 nurse. For moms, the Internet is a wonderful resource, but it often adds information overload (daily email offers), guilt (search for “Pinterest fails”), unrealistic expectations (“Why do all my Facebook friends have a perfect life?”), and pressure to be a faux expert (“I have to make a decision about what!?”), which results in little time to make themselves a priority. We’re busy. EXTREMELY busy. We want your help, but we don’t want you to waste our time.

As you think about marketing to moms online, consider these 10 tips:

Entertain me. Quickly. I only have a few seconds before I hear one of my kids yell “MOM!” Our client Saint Agnes’ “Keep Em Safe” video is lighthearted, brief and entertaining, yet ends with a relevant message to remember.
Do the competitive research for me. Provide comparison charts, statistics, experts and user reviews. If you help me quickly make an informed decision, I will engage.
Give me the background I need to make a decision. Provide relevant links if appropriate. Moms have to be experts on EVERYTHING; make it easy on us. I will forever be grateful to Baby Gizmo for making me feel like an expert when selecting a baby stroller.
Show me. Clear and concise DIY, “how to” or product review videos help me feel confident in whatever new endeavor I have to tackle, like using a breast pump for the first time.
Be easy to find. Search engines optimize your content with highly relevant keyword phrases in your title, hashtag or descriptions, so you have more of a chance to show in search results and earn clicks/views.
Make me feel appreciated. Don’t underestimate the impact of making us feel important. I’ll never forget to congratulate a mom on her child’s first birthday after watching the Pampers Japanese Mom’s 1^st Birthday video.
Be mobile-friendly. It’s rare that I have time to sit in front of a computer at home; think about my user experience on a mobile device and with only one free hand.
Use social channels—I’m not afraid to reach out to you via social, ask my networks for recommendations or share my experiences mom-to-mom. For example, after multiple friends posted the Dove Real Beauty Sketches video, I felt compelled to watch it, too (and am glad I did!).
Think about your timing. I’m awake in the middle of the night. I’m up at 6 a.m. on weekends. My schedule might be different than the universal best practices.
Help me teach or talk to my family and I’ll probably “like” it, read it, watch it or share it. As a result of organdonor.gov’s Facebook page, I’ve discussed organ donation with my family. The content balances education, while sometimes tugging at my mom heart with posts like this and this to ensure I won’t forget their message.