Moms are officially the 21st century power spender: Today’s mom makes nearly 85 percent of purchasing decisions for the home. What’s more, Moms will control two-thirds of all consumer wealth in the U.S. within the next decade.

Yet when it comes to reaching moms through marketing, 91 percent of women (moms included) say that advertisers don’t understand them. With Mother’s Day upon us (it’s May 10 – you’re welcome for the reminder to order those flowers), let’s discuss how marketers can better bond with this powerful demographic through content.

Where moms are getting information

First, let’s take a look at where Moms are gleaning their information. Here are a couple insights:

  • 80 percent of moms visit a blog before making a purchase decision.
  • 65 percent of moms have “go-to” or preferred blogs that they visit (as opposed to 50 percent of the general population).

These numbers reflect a huge potential for marketers to reach moms more effectively – and not through advertising. Instead, these stats show a need for relevant content that is in tune with both Mom’s lifestyle and her need for information.

Simple message vs. meaningful advice

So, we know moms want helpful information from your brand, but which topics truly resonate? To find out, we looked at the Demand Media Interest Index and identified a few key areas of interests for moms when it comes to their kids:

  • Moms with toddlers are three times more interested in development and activity topics.
  • Parenting advice makes up almost 75 percent of content searches by Mom.
  • Moms are two times more interested in activities and teaching opportunities than they are in discipline.

The key takeaway: Moms are open to receiving parenting advice from brands – as long as it goes beyond a simple marketing message.

From baby showers to gardening: Mom topics in Spring

Ultimately, successful content marketing isn’t just about providing relevant information; it’s about providing relevant information at the right time. So, beyond general parenting topics, there are seasonal parenting trends that brands can tap into.

Here are a few of spring’s trending topics for Mom:

  • Mom’s interest in meaningful events (e.g., anniversaries, baby showers, birthday parties and bridal showers) gain more popularity, while interest in general parties (such as BBQ, cocktail, beach, pool and picnic) decreases.
  • Moms start looking for graduation gift ideas in May.
  • Moms are focused on all things gardening throughout spring.

Reaching Mom (by targeting her BFF)

Knowing what content resonates is necessary if you want to reach your brand’s ultimate goal: Get noticed by and connect with your target audience.

When it comes to reaching moms as a target audience, brands must appeal to Mom’s best friend: Her smartphone (45 percent of U.S. Moms feel “addicted” to their smartphones).

More than that, you have to consider where the path through a mom’s smartphone leads: Directly through her social channels. In fact, 47 percent of Moms check Facebook multiple times a day, while 59 percent follow more than one brand on the social network.

Mom’s favorite: Kraft Foods

With all of the above insights and advice, let’s look at a brand that gets it right: Kraft Foods (ranked #2 out of 15 Brands That Rock Content Marketing to Moms).

On its Kraft Recipes blog, the brand offers Mom-focused content that is seasonally optimized. They also offer a dedicated section for kid-friendly dishes that are tied into holidays and seasons. This offering of expert knowledge within its core competency – food – is a perfect extension for Kraft’s brand.

They also see a lot of success with social lift, as well: Kraft Recipes distributes its content across social channels using high quality imagery, where it also actively engages with its audience. The result: 1.3 billion Facebook likes, 240,000+ Pinterest followers and positive user comments that close with: “Thanks for sharing, XOXO!”

We know mommy marketing. In fact, we know all about reaching millennials, US Hispanics and more through your content marketing efforts. Be sure to subscribe for all of our demographic marketing blogs!