Social Media Marketing to the likable Mom.

Social Media Marketing to the likable Mom.

Often identified as the social gender, women are known to discuss, touch, and connect more than men. Over the last decade, advancements in technology, and especially the rise of social networks, have enabled women to scale their connections and to thrive in online communities. Women have learned to develop trust and virtual intimacy with their social circles based on shared interests, experiences, and values. They are sharing, speaking, and listening more than ever, and doing so more rapidly and at greater scale.

The article I found, “Marketing to The Likeable Mom” discuss how these new social behaviors impacting women’s identities in specific mothers, and further examines how four groups of mothers – working, stay-at-home, Millennial, and Generation X – connect with and react to technology, specifically with regard to the social media content they create, share, and seek

In short, the study found that

Generation X Moms: are an active but controlled online audience, and their  online identity becomes closely linked to her children. Most importantly, this group work mother embrace technology to maintain work/life balance, and seek out brands online that they feel understand them.

Millennial Moms: are interested in being seen as individuals, users, consumers, rather than being solely identified as “moms.” Their social circles are large, comprising of both “real-life” friends, virtual friends, and brands. Yet, this level of hyper-connectivity may lead to unwanted emotional responses. They have little tolerance for irrelevant advertising and show an understanding of the complex dynamics of media.

Working Moms: have large social networks and curate a variety of content to share. They’ve identified social media as a resource for researching brands and voicing complaints. While they rely on technology to manage their work and home lives, having less time to spend with their kids may cause WMs greater anxiety about potential dangers it brings

Stay-at-Home Moms: are deal-driven, using social media to discover discounts and promos. They are able to detach; they need their smartphones, but are willing to set them aside more easily than other moms. They don’t need feedback about the content they share in on social order to feel validated and they are less concerned about how technology can negatively impact their kids.

The study also articulates that women are redefining what it means to be a mom. To engage with this influential group in social media, it is important to understand what shapes their identity and behaviors. As mothers look to social media, technology, and brands to help them navigate parenting, the article also noted that there are many assignments left on the table for advertisers to work. For instance, the study has found that brand associations have become a reflection of mom’s best self, and this link to their identity strongly. Moreover, the author warns advertisers that when brands present or emphasize inspirational and qualities of their product or service, brands’ social pages should facilitate concerns or tasks that busy working moms are looking to accomplish. 

Lastly, the lesson learned from the article is importance of carefully designing communication with consumers. Some Advertisers may falsely think that working mothers share certain identities and behaviors as oppose to other target consumers, but it should be noted that parental concerns may differ among moms. As mentioned in the article, working moms are more likely to respond to solutions that help alleviate their fears, and also emotional reactions to social media may also differ with Millennial moms, who are most willing to feel the impact of a “like”

I agree with author’s view that not a few brands still feel the pressure to come up with new, compelling content day-to-day or week-to-week tailored to those mother’s behaviors and identities by generating multiple posts, articles, photos, and videos. However, in fact it often does not resonate with their audience. When formulating content development strategy, the first step brands should consider is understanding the content that their consumers are looking for and what they typically consume. Second, content must be appealing to target audiences’ needs and desires with information and entertainment. In addition, determining what the current and emerging trends are important factors to consider prior to creating content. Finally, when brands deliver content, it seems like brands are merely reinforcing what their brand stands for. However, not just necessarily pushing a product, but rather support of your brand story is indeed essential step to make powerful impact upon consumers behavior..

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<Source:http://cdn.sheknows.com/whitepapers/likeable-mom/SheKnows-Harris-Whitepaper_final.pdf>