• by Maria Bailey , Columnist, July 7, 2010

Last month, I took a look back on how marketing to moms has changed in the last five years. This time, I'd like to look forward and make a few predictions about the mom market. I know it's dangerous to pretend you have a crystal ball but I have a pretty good track record for spotting trends so I'm hoping that my intuition doesn't fail me this time. Regardless of the outcome, the intent is to help you apply a new lens to some of the valuable insights you obtain each week via Engage:Moms.

Blogitter: One Part Blog, One Part Twitter

A new communication platform will replace blogging. It might not be Blogitter which I only made up to make my point but it will be something. I made this prediction at dinner the other night and almost caused a popular mom blogger to choke on her food, so let me explain. I predict history to repeat itself.

Remember the late '90s when moms started web sites at a record number? The motivation was very similar to today's bloggers; socialization and the sharing of information. Fast forward a few years and mom webmasters of the '90s found that as their children got older it became difficult to keep up with the amount of content necessary to maintain their web sites. Yes, the older the child, the less time a mom has for her own activities. Ultimately, many of these moms sold their sites or simply went on to other things.

Many of today's bloggers began their blogs in order to chronicle their baby's lives or to share with friends and families. These same women no longer have babies but school-age children, and other technologies like Facebook or Foursquare offer faster ways to stay connected. Ultimately, I predict moms will move to a platform that requires less thought, offers the same opportunity to express themselves through writing yet takes half the time of maintaining a blog and all the traffic-building tasks that comes along with it.

Local will go Global

Mothers have an interest in what's happening in other places. I predict Moms around the world will connect in virtual playgrounds and socialize as much as moms in the neighborhood cul-de-sac. Their interest in comparing parenting styles and collective solutions will take moms across the pond and around the world. Language barriers will break down via technology and live streaming will allow moms to socialize face to face.

Ding-Dong! Avon is Calling on your Wireless Device

Direct sales parties will go virtual and moms will be attending everything from Tupperware parties to in-home jewelry shows online via live streaming. It's already moving in this direction with LIVE Twitter Parties that allow moms to tweet their reactions to products or socialize with other moms while watching the host demonstrate product. Don't believe me? Just ask ResourcefulMommy.com.

Family Brands are on their Way

Today, social media mom influencers "build their brand" by distributing content and building followers on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Tomorrow's moms will build their family's brand to include a varied point of view for their followers. You might ask, "What teenager wants to blog or tweet with their mother?" Answer: One that grew up watching mom attending Twitter parties and one that cashed in on the piles of toy samples that landed at their family's doorstep.

The second generation of social media mavens has seen firsthand that brands reward influence and word of mouth and they will be happy to participate as they age. Already you see mom bloggers extending their blogs to include their children or spouse to offer a new point of view for readers and marketers.

Mom Store Keepers Open their Virtual Doors

Collective purchasing and peer purchasing will become a common practice among moms. The trend has already begun with thousands of moms following the advice of coupon watchers and frugal bloggers. As more and more moms realize the economic power they possess, they will identify creative ways to flex their spending muscle with companies. Additionally, moms will flex their influence to put money in their own pockets by opening a virtually store as seen currently on Opensky.com.