• by Maria Bailey , Columnist, May 30, 2018

Amazon quietly acquired Twitch for $970 million in 2014 but lately people are noticing. Twitch is a popular online service for watching and streaming digital video broadcasts. Today it has expanded beyond its original gamer audience to include cooking shows, music and more. 

Last week, Facebook announced that it would be launching an influencer platform to help connect brands with social media influencers. It has the right metrics although questions remain. 

Keeping up with its big brothers, Instagram has announced new algorithms recently as well. Quality engagement will be the priority for the platform. 

So, what does all this mean to the future of marketing to moms? 

1. Video will be rewarded by social media platforms.

Mom bloggers will be forced to go in front of the camera. Amazon and Facebook want video. They want live. The quickest way for a brand to currently get views on Facebook is to engage moms in hosting Facebook Live events featuring their products. Check out Cindy Simmons , who is attracting large followings with her Coffee Convo Wednesdays. It’s a great example of how to do Facebook Live to attract Millennial Moms. 

2. More product reviews will be done live.

Amazon understands that Millennials and Gen Z like to see their peers react to things.  That’s why Twitch is so popular, and now Amazon is preparing itself for the tide of spending by Millennials and Gen Zers. Don’t be surprised when they begin offering live product reviews to brands. 

3. Influencer marketing will continue to grow.

Through their recent actions, Amazon, Facebook and Instagram have validated the careers of social media influencers. Amazon has taken on YouTube by offering Twitch users the opportunity to earn more on its platform than on YouTube, and Facebook is positioning itself as a corporate matchmaker. Influencer marketing will continue to grow, but marketers will be forced to determine if a professional influencer is truly an authentic influencer. 

4. Mom bloggers will have to give Facebook a second chance. 

Mom bloggers have become an important part of most brands’ marketing strategy, but it will certainly change. I posted Facebook’s announcement on my personal Facebook page. Immediately,  bloggers recounted how a Facebook executive speaking at the Disney Social Media Mom Celebration told a roomful of mom bloggers that “Facebook doesn’t need mom bloggers.” The remaining comments focused on the dread that most of the mom bloggers have of returning to Facebook. They may have no choice. 

5. Moms won’t have the time nor patience for Instagram.

Millennial moms are busy people. If Instagram expects a mom influencer to respond to each comment within one hour, it won’t happen during the morning rush, school pickup time, the dinner hour, bedtime — you get the picture. Mom bloggers will gravitate to platforms that are mom-friendly and allow authenticity and flexibility. 

6. Marketers will turn back to the average, main street mom for word-of-mouth marketing.

It might happen out of frustration or it may happen because it’s the right thing to do, but marketers are likely to return to the ways of the ’80s and ’90s. Marketing tactics will come around again just as cold shoulder shirts have. It was a time when marketers would sample products with the homeroom moms or at soccer fields. They weren’t paid to share; they did it because they loved the product. They don’t know how many followers they have or how to monetize them. They just love your brand and enjoy telling others about it.