New Moms are Talking

Add comment April 22nd, 2008

A recent article from MediaPost Publications highlights the exceptionally high rate of word-of-mouth recommendations by expectant and new mothers.  Overall, pregnant women and new moms engage in one-third more WOM conversations per day than women in general, and almost two-thirds of their conversations include brand recommendations, one study found.  The same study also showed that nearly 70% of this group deems what they hear from their fellow moms to be very credible, and 51% are likely to pass the information along to others and indicate intent to purchase based on the information.  As you would imagine, much of their conversation centers around children’s products, but it is evident that discussions go far beyond kid-oriented products/brands.  That’s the good news! 

Researchers point out that 76% of all U.S. moms say that they use the Net for support and guidance and 70% participate in online communities.  One case-in-point in our area is “mom’s place,” (www.nwherald.com/moms) a landing page linked from the Northwest Herald Newspaper’s front page online.

The numbers are clear that marketers should include WOM within the marketing objective;

·         make it easy for consumers to share info with one another

·         use artful storytelling to create differentiation in the customer’s mind

·         encourage participation, collaboration and contribution 

So, could your blog use some stories?  Have you looked at ways to reach this talkative segment of the market?  One thing is for certain, always include a ‘send to a friend’ option on email news and publications because most likely, they will.