• by Ken Johns , June 30, 2010

Current statistics show that moms control about $4 billion in annual household spending today, which is obviously why so many marketers are trying so hard to engage them. And it seems that one of the preferred ways to communicate with just about any target segment these days is through email, due mainly to its low cost and high ROI potential.

A recent report from Forrester predicts that emails from marketers to consumers' primary inboxes will swell to an average 9,000 annually by 2014. But, considering moms' hectic schedules that keep them running everywhere from the workplace to school activities to soccer practices and dance classes to doctor and dentist appointments, you wonder when these active women have time to check email.

We conducted our own research among more than 400 women with children age 12 and under living in their households, including if and when they read marketing-oriented emails and newsletters. It turns out that even the busiest moms make time to check their email accounts on a regular basis. In fact, here's what we found:

• Nearly 96% of respondents said they check email at least once a day.

• More than 80% of them actually look forward to checking email.

• Most important, eight in 10 moms indicated they want to receive offers and information from preferred brands via email.

Understand Their Preferences

It's clear that email is a viable vehicle for engaging moms, but it's a crowded space, especially when knowing that more than half of these women maintain only one email account. And, with 50% of our respondents indicating that they are most likely to "unsubscribe" either because they don't find the information useful or interesting, or they're being inundated with emails, staying relevant is key with regard to both frequency and content. Here are a few findings that might help you with this process:

• Approximately 45% of respondents indicated they prefer to receive email correspondence from any one brand about once a week.

• Nearly 50% of respondents said they tend to read emails with time-sensitive subject lines, such as "50% Off Today Only," first.

• Nearly 85% of respondents said they wanted to receive coupons, and approximately 78% said they preferred to receive information about sales and promotions.

• Nearly 73% of our moms indicated they might make a special trip to the store after receiving an email containing a coupon or promotion.

• More than 63% said they print coupons for brands they use or want to try so they have it for their next trip to the store.

Even after nearly 20 years of email marketing, the right offer still drives a desired action. To be effective with this channel, consider periodically offering incentives to get subscribers to provide feedback through quick surveys about what they consider to be both relevant content and acceptable frequency. Then tailor your emails to reflect these findings. Look closely at your subject lines and ensure the content speaks to your consumers' personal interest.

Make It Personal

Speaking of "personal," more than 60% of moms said they would provide information about themselves to a trusted brand if it meant they would receive more personalized content. Interestingly, seven in 10 of these women said they would even provide certain information about their children if it meant they could get more relevant information and offers from their preferred brands.

These findings illustrate that women have become comfortable providing information about themselves -- even about their children -- to preferred brands if it means they will get more useful information and offers back. If they're willing to provide the data, then you need to make sure you have mechanisms in place to collect it. But, be smart about what type of information you ask for and how often you ask for it. And, make sure you then use it. Asking moms what they want and then failing to deliver on it could be worse for your brand than not asking at all.

In the end, taking the time to understand this ever-important demographic and their preferences will make your email communications more effective and keep them coming back for more.