• by Stephanie Azzarone , Op-Ed Contributor, October 30, 2012

Moms love Facebook -- but they trust blogs. And 92% of moms active in social media are buying products as a result of a social media recommendation.

Those were among the key findings of our new study, "How Moms are Using Social Media RIGHT NOW -- and How You Can Make the Most of It.” I presented the results for the first time at the eighth annual Marketing to Moms Conference in Chicago last week.
We reached out to the 1,200 moms in our Social Savvy research network -- almost all of them regularly active on blogs and social networks -- to explore five key questions:

• What social media platforms do moms currently favor?
• How has that changed?
• Why?
• What social media platforms are impacting purchasing decisions?
• What products are moms buying as a result of social media recommendations?

Among the study’s findings: 

• Facebook, Twitter and blogs were the three most popular social media platforms among moms surveyed
• Pinterest was the platform that most moms (63%) tried for the first time this year
• Instagram topped the list of technologies moms (28%) were likely to try next
• Polyvore and Olioboard were among the new services these early adopters were exploring
• Moms are spending more time on Facebook than in the past (64% of moms) and less time on Twitter (33%)
• Blogs impacted moms' purchasing decisions more than any other social media platform (80%)
• Toys were the No. 1 kids' product purchased by moms as a result of social media recommendations.

The study results underscore how moms’ immersion in social media has dramatically changed their purchasing behavior. Alongside recommendations from family and friends, it is the most valuable tool for companies that want to market to mothers.