• by Karl Greenberg , December 20, 2010

If one were to draw an avatar-like cartoon of a typical social-media user and consumer electronics consumer, chances are he/she would look like a college student or young professional. That, according to the Consumer Electronics Association, would be inaccurate. Moms rule.

The firm says in a new study that U.S. moms spend an average of $822 on gadgetry each year and account for more than half of their household's total consumer-electronics spending. The study found that moms who post information online about electronics tend to be affluent and interested in technology. Half are early adopters, and one in three has a household income of $75,000 or more.

Among the 64% of moms who told CEA that they read information posted about consumer electronics products and retailers on social networks, nearly two in three said they also purchased an electronic device as a result, and half recommended that friends or family make a purchase. By comparison, 43% of all online adults have done so.

The brief, "Moms and Social Media: Influencing CE Purchases," also said about half of moms surveyed said they decided not to buy a device because of something they read online, and nearly as many said they have exhorted others to do likewise.

Ben Arnold, senior research analyst at CEA, said moms favor social media sites including blogs, message boards and product fan pages to research products and get firsthand product reviews and recommendations.

About a third of moms queried said they have posted reviews, opinions or experiences about electronics products and retailers in the past year, compared to just a quarter of all women online. "Online moms are a particularly important consumer segment, as they are both active on social media sites and possess substantial buying power and influence," said Arnold. "As social media continues to evolve, it is essential for companies to embrace brand evangelists to further extend the reach of their marketing initiatives."

The numbers please: the report finds that 84% of moms visit social media sites like Facebook, versus 74% of all adults; 65% visit social video sites like YouTube versus 56% of adults; and a little under half visit product review sites versus 38% of adults. The biggest gap was 44% of moms who visit blogs versus 33% of adults.

Among the moms using social networking sites, 94% said they go to Facebook most often. About half of moms with social networking accounts say they have over 100 "friends." Of the 111 hours per month moms surveyed said they spend online, 32 hours are on social sites.

Moms also exhibit a wide range of consumer activity on social networks, per CEA. The study found that nearly half got discounts or coupons; about a quarter clicked an ad for an electronics retailer; about the same number became CE retailer fans; 22% clicked on an ad for an electronics device; and 15% became a fan of a product.

And the brief -- whose data comes from an online survey in August this year with a respondent pool of about 990 adults -- found that as "Deal of the Day" sites proliferate, microblogs like Twitter with see mom traffic increase because of time-sensitive offer notifications and sales for electronics.