9 Ways to Increase Brand Engagement With Moms
Many brands have recognized moms’ decision-making power in the household and the $2 trillion of spending power they hold. With their rapid adoption of technology and social media, moms only increased their influence as consumers. According to iMedia Connection, Moms love sharing information with other moms and they’re constantly seeking like-minded women and brands. Brands should seize this opportunity to understand and connect with moms and actively engage these powerful women so they can build brand loyalty.
Here are 9 distinct ways to increase brand engagement with moms:
1) Offer a Coupon or Discount
Who doesn’t like a discount? Moms especially appreciate getting a coupon for the brands they love. A survey reported by Marketing Charts found that 60% of moms are interested in a discount coupon to use on a future purchase of a brand product. Of those moms, 52% are also interested in using these coupons on a future purchase from the brand’s family products. BabyCenter and comScore found that expectant women and mothers with kids ages 8 and up are 42% more likely than the general online population to like or follow brands on social media due to coupons and discounts (78% vs. 55%).
2) Offer a Reward
Rewards can be either financial or come in the form of a gift card. The same Marketing Charts survey found that 81% of mothers engage more with a brand if they are offered a reward. Financial rewards are highly likely to spur a response, as 83% of respondents say they would be motivated to engage with a brand if it offered free products and services. However, gift cards ensure customers come back while simultaneously giving them the feeling of appreciation for being able to shop the brand for products without paying cash out of pocket.
3) Integrate Social Networks for Sharing
With moms constantly on their smartphones and browsing social media sites, what better way to increase their brand engagement than by utilizing the “Share Now” button? Marketing Charts’ survey found that moms are 34% more likely than other women to recommend companies and brands via social networking sites. Moms make up a large network so reach out to them by using the sharing technique on your social network sites. It’s one of the best - and easiest - ways for brands to increase engagement with and among moms.
4) Run a Contest on Social Media
It might be easy for moms to share your brand via social media but at times it’s difficult to maintain that engagement. Brand marketers can pique the interest of moms through a contest on social media via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. Marketing Charts found that 53% of moms said they have already participated in company or brand contests or sweepstakes and 24% said they plan to do so in the future. Ask mothers to upload a type of photo and comment with a hashtag to participate. Always be sure to they follow the contest rules for each social media site.
5) Create Brand Loyal Moms
Loyalty Programs are a great marketing effort that reward and encourage loyal customers to continue coming back. Today moms want even more from their loyalty programs. Marketing Charts found that if moms could earn points in loyalty programs, 59% would buy other products from the parent company and 46% would switch from a competitor’s product. Include more incentives within your loyalty program so more moms will hop on the bandwagon and engage with your brand.
6) Support a Cause
Cause marketing has increased significantly in the past decade. Edelman Financial Group and WPP found that 92% of moms want to buy a product that supports a cause, and 88% look for opportunities to support causes by making changes to their own behavior. Consider Yoplait yogurt, which has run the “Save Lids to Save Lives” campaign to raise awareness and funds to fight breast cancer. Campaigns such as this help moms feel involved in a greater cause while doing something they typically do (buy yogurt in this case).
7) Don't Forgest Customer Service
With a myriad of ways to communicate comments, questions, and feedback, it's important for brands to keep up with these outlets. All consumers, and especially moms, expect that brands will respond to their comments in a timely manner. About 60% of moms expect to hear back from brands within a day after they submit a comment. Brands who follow these expectations will be the ones moms choose more often.
8) Target Moms on Smartphones and Tablets
BabyCenter and comScore found that expectant women and mothers of young children are 49% more likely than the general online population sample to own a smartphone and 30% more likely to own a tablet. As more moms bring tablets into their households, marketers will need to adapt to the use of a “second screen.” Responsive design, dedicated tablet apps, and mobile-optimized sites can be implemented to help your brand give moms the positive experience they seek on these popular devices.
9) Get Ready for eCommerce
BabyCenter compared recent survey results with results from 6 months ago and found a drastic rise in the proportion of mothers using their smartphone or tablet for shopping activities. Some of the things moms do on these devices include price comparison reviews, research on where to buy, and seeking out store locations. Brands will increase traffic, engagement and loyalty if they regularly target moms on smartphones and tablets through apps and a strong mobile web experience.
As leaders of their households and activists in their community, moms present the best opportunity for brands to target and regularly engage with to increase traffic to the brand and social media sites. Learn more about specific content marketing strategies that help brands reach moms in our white paper.
Posted by Chelsea Amaral