• by Aliza Freud , Columnist, March 30, 2012

There is no denying that mom’s day is full. Mom’s days were full long before social media entered her world. But come into her world it did!  In a recent survey, we found 65% of moms reported that they spend more than an hour a day on Facebook alone. And 28% said that they spend more than three hours a day on Facebook.

Moms being active in social media is no surprise. With all of this time spent using social media, added to an already packed day, are moms feeling the crunch? Are they overwhelmed? 

Surprisingly, the answer is a resounding “No”! Only 8% of moms surveyed said that they felt “over-stimulated” and overwhelmed by social media.  How does social media make moms feel? “Delightfully in touch and in tune with the world” is the way that 42% of moms characterized their love for social media. One mom said:

“Social media enables me to keep in touch with a lot of people at once, including people who I might not otherwise be able.” 

In addition to connecting with friends, many moms on Facebook (90%) follow brands, including 31% who seek out brands on social media just because they are brand advocates and are curious what the brand is doing online. As one mom put it:

“As a mom, I am constantly making decisions about products to buy for my family. Social media gives me an easy way to ask lots for friends what they recommend and also follow brands that I like to see what’s new and get the inside scoop on special offers.” 

This being said, brands must be careful about how they communicate on social media to make sure that moms don’t start feeling overwhelmed with excessive posts from the brand that don’t serve moms’ interest. After all, the “unlike” and “unfollow” buttons are not that hard to find! 

So what does this mean for brands that want get and keep a busy mom’s attention? 

1. Keep the content relevant The majority of moms (68%) are positive about being contacted by brands on social media as long as the content they receive is relevant and interesting. 

What kind of content is most interesting to moms? Testimonials, reviews and content from other moms like them. In a recent program, a brand owned by a multinational packaged goods giant experienced significant increases in its Facebook engagement numbers by leveraging user-generated content such as videos, photos, stories and testimonials. 

2. Make it useful Whether it’s a coupon moms can use or share with others, a recipe, or a tip to make life easier, moms want content they can use. 87% of moms reported these types of posts the most engaging. 

3. Make it Viral Eighty-six percent of moms like sharing information or news that they think will be helpful to others and 83% like sharing information about discounts and deals. Empowering mom to share with others will make them appreciate brand messages even more.