• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, May 1, 2013

BabyCenter, with comScore, revealing new insights about moms’ usage of social platforms across all devices, finds that moms are 20% more likely to use social media than the general population. 91% of moms now use social media regularly, a 20% increase since 2010. And, 22% of moms say that if friends or family don’t participate in social media, they are not as much a part of their lives.

Mike Fogarty, SVP and Global Publisher at BabyCenter, says “... before mom clicks to buy, she’s posted, pinned, tweeted, and shared... so much a part of a her life... (she checks) social platforms... before first cup of coffee... now fundamental to... moms’... lives...”

61% of moms have used the image-centric social network in the last six months, nearly double its 30% usage among the general population. That means Mom is 87% more likely to visit the social network than the general population.

Fogarty goes on to say that “... all social media for mom is visual and image-driven... today’s moms expect social media to be an incredibly visual experience...”

Moms who participate in social media shop online more than moms who don’t.  Moms were responsible for 32% of total online spending in the last quarter, says the report, despite making up only 18% of the total internet audience. Compared to the general population, moms who are also heavy social networkers are more likely to shop online for:

• Clothing (61%)
• Portable devices (91%)
• Baby supplies (63%)
• Home and garden products (65%)

89% of moms with smartphones access Facebook on their mobile phones, and Mom is four times more likely to prefer to check social media on her smartphone. Compared to the general population, 49% more moms have smartphones (81% vs. 54%). And, Mom’s smartphone ownership is up 25% and her tablet ownership is up 79% year over year.

 New moms spend an additional 10 hours of their day on parenting responsibilities, so she’s time-pressed and seeks ways to get more accomplished in less time. Social media enables Mom to do her research, get her shopping done, and share family milestones instantly with friends and family. 45% of moms say they are emailing less often and communicating more through social media. 61% of moms are using social media to get information quickly, including health and wellness advice.

91% of moms have used Facebook in the past six months (compared to 80% of the general population) to socialize, share pictures or videos, and keep up on the news. 92% use the social network specifically to share family milestones, and 60% of moms feel closer to friends who post regularly.

78% of moms follow a brand for coupons and discounts, compared to only 55% of the general population. To learn about brands and products to buy, 73% of moms rely on recommendations from parenting social media. Posts from a friend are 16% more influential than posts from a brand, and posts from another mom are 55% more influential than posts from a brand.

The findings of this study were the result of an in-depth survey of over 1,480 moms and other online adults, social media diaries from 14 new and expectant moms, and a behavioral and secondary analysis with comScore covering e-commerce habits and social analytics.

For more information from BabyCenter, please visit here.