How Modern Moms Use Social Media

BabyCenter, a leading pregnancy and parenting mobile and web destination, has released its 2013 Social Mom Report.

In partnership with web researcher comScore, BabyCenter has revealed new insights surrounding moms’ adoption and usage of social platforms across all devices.

Today, according to the report, moms are 20% more likely to use social media than the general population. Ninety-one percent of moms now use social media regularly – a 20% increase since 2010.

And they expect their friends and family to use it too. In fact, 22% of moms say that if friends or family don’t participate in social media, they are not as much a part of their lives.

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The findings of this study were the result of a survey of over 1,480 moms and other online adults, social media diaries from 14 new and expectant moms, and a behavioral and secondary analysis with comScore covering e-commerce habits and social analytics. The findings were released Thursday, April 18.

“Today’s mom is the most influential and social consumer you’ll meet. Before she clicks to buy, she’s posted, pinned, tweeted, and shared,” said Mike Fogarty, SVP and global publisher at BabyCenter.

“In fact, social media is so much a part of a mom’s life that checking her various social platforms comes before enjoying her first cup of coffee in the morning. In the three short years since our last report on this topic, social media has become so pervasive, it’s now fundamental to the way today’s moms live their lives.”

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Nearly two-thirds of moms (61%) report they have used the image-centric social network Pinterest in the last six months, nearly double its 30% usage among the general population. That means Mom is 87% more likely to visit the social network than the general population.

Moms who participate in social media shop online more than other moms.  In fact, moms were responsible for 32% of total online spending in the last quarter, despite making up only 18% of the total internet audience.

Compared to the general population, moms who are also heavy social networkers are more likely to shop online for clothing (61%), portable devices (91%), baby supplies (63%), and home and garden products (65%).

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Moms are also early adopters of devices, and mobile enables her social behavior. Eighty-nine percent of moms with smartphones access Facebook on their mobile phones, and Mom is four times more likely to prefer to check social media on her smartphone.

Compared to the general population, 49% more moms have smartphones (81% vs. 54%). In a year-over-year comparison, Mom’s smartphone ownership is up 25% and her tablet ownership is up 79%.

New moms spend an additional 10 hours of their day on parenting responsibilities. As a result, she’s time-pressed and seeks ways to get more accomplished in less time.

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Social media enables Mom to do her research, get her shopping done, and share family milestones instantly with friends and family. According to the study, 45% of moms say they are emailing less often and communicating more through social media. Additionally, 61% of moms are using social media to get information quickly, including health and wellness advice.

Ninety-one percent of moms have used Facebook in the past six months, compared to 80% of the general population, to socialize, share pictures or videos, and keep up on the news.

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In fact, 92% use the social network specifically to share family milestones and 60% moms feel closer to friends who post regularly. In addition to Facebook, moms have higher reach across all major social media platforms including YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+.

Saving money and keeping up with her favorite brands is important to Mom too. Seventy-eight percent of moms follow a brand for coupons and discounts, compared to only 55% of the general population.

To learn about which brands and products to buy, 73% of moms rely on recommendations from parenting social media. Moms report that posts from a friend are 16% more influential than posts from a brand, and posts from another mom are 55% more influential than posts from a brand.