MOBILE REPORT SERIES 2013 MOTHER S LITTLE HELPER FOR THE DIGITAL AGE

Transcription

1 MOBILE REPORT SERIES 2013 MOTHER S LITTLE HELPER FOR THE DIGITAL AGE APRIL 2013

2 MOTHER S LITTLE HELPER FOR THE DIGITAL AGE Put your marketing message in the palm of her powerful hands The saying mother knows best has never been more true than it is in the online age. Today s digital mom is never far from her smartphone or tablet, meaning the latest product pricing, reviews and recommendations are always just a click away. An astounding 54% of moms own smartphones, meaning that their collective $2.4 trillion buying power is being leveraged in the digital space more than ever. Therefore, the question is: Are you reaching moms in the most effective and efficient fashion? Most moms say no. According to mom-focused marketing consultant The Mom Complex, three out of four moms feel like marketers and advertisers don t understand what it s really like to be them. Mobile Moms feel misunderstood and disconnected despite their constant mobile connection. This is an alarming issue that marketers need to recognize and fix quickly. But how? 3 out of 4 mobile moms say marketers don t understand them. Why Mobile Moms are important:: INFLUENCE IN THE PALM OF HER HANDS Mobile Moms are a critical target not only for their astonishing buying power, but because of the amazing influence they wield over others. When it comes to decisions about where to spend their money, moms rely heavily on recommendations and reviews from friends, family and other moms they connect with online. Research conducted by the 360PR MomSquad in 2011 confirmed that the #1 source that moms check before buying is, in fact, other moms. 1 How Often Moms Recommend Brands, Products & Services to Other Moms * Daily Monthly 50% 71% 51% of moms say they are addicted to their 3 smartphones. *Survey of 964 US moms with children between ages Whether they are shopping, dining out or just catching up with friends, moms are on their phones, talking about their favorite brands. They are posting Facebook statuses, pinning inspirations to Pinterest, tweeting photos of purchases, writing reviews (positive and negative) and contributing to the brand conversation that, in turn, immediately influences other Mobile Moms to do the same PR MomSquad, The Shopping Mom s Mindset, February PR & Mom It Forward, Inc., The Mom Next Door study, October i, Smartphone-Addicted, App-Happy & Social How Should Your Brand Reach Mobile Moms?, April

3 And beyond these typical social channels, Mobile Moms are also influencing others through their roles as bloggers. WHAT AN EXPERT SAYS The top 15 mom bloggers influence more people than The New York Times. 4 Why Mobile Moms love their mobile devices:: CAPTIVATED BY THE SMARTPHONE What is it about smartphones that so easily captures and holds the attention of busy Mobile Moms? Evidence shows that there are three factors behind the addiction: Reasons Moms Use Their Smartphones 5 Ease of use Proximity (always with me) Privacy The first two points are not as surprising, but the last raises some interesting questions. Moms indicate that they prefer using their smartphones as a private way to obtain information and share that information with others. Could smartphones eventually replace in-store sales associates for instant, unbiased recommendations and reviews? Ultimately, busy, on-the-go Mobile Moms are unable to resist the convenience, connection and confirmation that s always within reach. 57% 67% 66% Companies have to be proactive and align their marketing efforts with the understanding that the modern mom is on the go. This means making websites mobile friendly, using quick-tounderstand calls to action and writing copy that is clear and concise. Brands that excel in making the buying experience quick and easy for moms will stand out and pull away from the competition that can t master this practice. Melanie Eyerman Communications Team Manager thunder::tech How Mobile Moms use their devices:: REVIEWS, RATINGS & RECOMMENDATIONS Nearly 70% of Mobile Moms consult their mobile devices regularly while shopping. They are also becoming more aware of tools designed specifically for this use. Alt12 Apps, the developer of the popular pregnancy app BabyBump, conducted a 2012 survey to discover just how Mobile Moms were using their mobile devices to shop. They found that when making purchasing decisions, one in two Mobile Moms use social networking apps on their mobile devices, while 60% of these moms turn to retailer apps. 6 This means that a large number of Mobile Moms continue to trust the retailer as a source of information, but still turn to outside opinions via other smartphone apps. 4 How Open Conversation Between Moms, Marketers Earns Influence, May InMobi, Building Stronger 6 BabyBump survey,

4 What Mobile Moms Look For on Their Smartphones Reviews & recommendations Convenient shopping Product promotions, sales & coupons 16% 24% 58% The same survey highlighted the value of location-based advertising. It found that 48% of Mobile Moms felt that a mobile advertisement helped them find a product or service close to their current location; while 27% said that the mobile ad influenced an in-store purchase decision. 7 When Mobile Moms are using their devices:: EVERY DAY IN EVERY WAY The convenience of mobile devices has given even the busiest Mobile Mom access to social networking, online shopping and reviews whenever and wherever she wants them. In fact, Mobile Moms spend more time with their mobile devices than they do watching television. WHAT A MOM BLOGGER SAYS I value recommendations from other moms greatly, especially if they have children the same age. There s nothing like finding someone who has a similar situation as you and learning about products they find that make their life easier or more fun. I will use my smartphone while shopping to look up reviews of something I might come across that I hadn t researched yet. It helps me decide whether to buy it and how it will fit into our family. Tésa Nicolanti 2 Wired 2 Tired Where Mobile Moms Spend Their Media Time* 7% 14% 19% 28% 33% Mobile Devices (3.3 hours) Television (2.8 hours) Internet (1.9 hours) Radio (1.4 hours) Print (.7 hours) *In hours, based on 10.1 hours per day of media time. 8 7 BabyBump survey, InMobi, Building Stronger 4

5 However, it is difficult to gauge the true amount of time Mobile Moms use their mobile devices since they are constantly multi-tasking and even using these devices at the same time as other media channels like TV or radio. Mobile ad network Inmobi concluded from a 2012 study that 77% of Mobile Moms use their mobile devices while watching TV, 80% use them while waiting (allowing moms to take advantage of this precious and otherwise wasted time ) and 82% use them while in bed. 9 It s clear from these growing numbers that moms have fully embraced mobile technology. Smart marketers will take notice and develop their marketing efforts accordingly. What Mobile Moms mean for marketers:: MAKE YOURS MOBILE Smartphone and tablet use has hit record numbers, especially among Mobile Moms. This has made it not important, but necessary, for companies to best leverage mobile marketing practices. If you re trying to put your best foot forward in the fast-paced digital marketplace, there are several things your brand should be doing, at a minimum. Mobile Best Practices Mobile Optimization:: A mobile-optimized site or, better yet, a site made with responsive website design (RWD) makes the shopping experience for your customers easy and enjoyable on any mobile device. Blogger Relations:: If your product or service is targeted at moms, developing a mutually beneficial relationship with a trusted group of mom bloggers gives you valuable insight into the audience and a source to drive traffic to your site. Social Listening:: For today s social brands it s critical to monitor, measure and mentor the conversations that are occurring about and around your brand every day. There are many tools that help you keep track of brand mentions, competitor brands, industry news, user-generated content and more. Tools for Brands:: There are several tools brands can use to organize, present and even collect data from consumers. This could be in the form of a digital product locator map, a recipe generator that features key products, an interactive catalog or a product support page for past customers to request replacement parts or download product manuals. Optimization:: When shoppers are looking for your products, make sure they are easy to find. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) helps raise the ranking of your site on organic and paid searches so your brand is always front and center. BOTTOM LINE: Moms are still the driving force behind the majority of household purchases. So, if you re targeting moms, you must target the Mobile Mom. She is evolving technologically and if you don t keep up with her, she ll leave you behind in the digital dust. Interested in learning more about mobile marketing? Check out these helpful links:: Mobile Report The thunder::tech team did some research to determine how many top companies have optimized their websites for mobile. Read the surprising results in this report. Good Morning Marketers 9 InMobi, Building Stronger This video highlights the value of digital moms as a target consumer audience. Find out the best ways to reach out to market to moms in this episode of Good Morning Marketers. 5