• by Tina Sharkey , May 13, 2009

I love Facebook. I can post articles, keep tabs on my best friends from college and share long forgotten photos with former kindergarten classmates. Yet, while this type of connectedness appeals to the executive and friend in me -- it does little for me as a mom.

When I'm in mom mode, I'm looking for something more meaningful than chit-chat and funny reminders of moments past. I need advice, guidance and the connections you can only feel with someone who has experienced what you're going through, when you're going through it. Right here, right now. Mindset matters.

To better understand the social mindset of moms, here at BabyCenter we recently conducted a series of social surveys that revealed the vast difference in how moms engage in mom-centric communities versus mass social networks.

Moms visit parenting communities to learn from other moms.

21st-century moms rely on crowd-sourcing mom-to-mom wisdom. Eighty-seven percent of moms report having read information or advice posted by other moms on community, social networking or blog sites. Additionally, 48% of moms said they look to parenting communities to find other moms compared to less popular sources, including offline local mom groups (25%), school (19%), online local mom groups (16%), or mainstream social networking sites (16%).

Parenting social networks are the ultimate level playing field.

Within these communities, things like location, job, education, religion and political affiliation are somewhat inconsequential. What matters is their shared experiences based on commonalities like due date, child's birthday or perhaps the special needs of their child. So who do they trust? Seventy-two percent of moms surveyed said that sharing a similar experience and having children the same age are the two factors enabling them to trust other moms.

Moms welcome communications with marketers in mom-centric social networks.

Early motherhood is a significant time for product testing and trial. It is a time when moms welcome new ideas, products and services that could potentially make their lives easier. Marketers should tap into the power of mom word of mouth. Our research with Keller Fay Group shows that pregnant and new moms have one-third more word-of-mouth conversations per day than women in general.

Moms average 109 word-of-mouth conversations per week about products, services and brands, most of which are positive and considered highly credible by other moms. We also found that 71% think companies should interact with them through our community. Additionally, 73% feel they find trustworthy information about products and services through online communities focused on their specific interests such as parenting -- more than any other type of media including magazines, newspapers, radio, TV and mass social networks.

Although social media provide significant opportunities for marketers to connect with moms, a recent survey from M2Moms revealed 60% of moms feel that marketers are ignoring their needs and 73% feel that advertisers don't really understand what it's like to be a mom.

Let's change that perception. Let's move beyond simply looking at where moms spend their time, and focus on what they are trying to accomplish at that moment. Right here, right now. Clearly, mindset really does matter.