In the U.S., women represent about 80 percent of direct sellers. In a new report titled Marketing to the “Likeable” Mom, SheKnows and Harris Interactive provide insight into the online behaviors of that core demographic.
The research examines attitudes and behaviors through the lens of age as well as employment, grouping respondents according to their status as working, stay-at-home, Millennial, or Generation X mothers. The resulting profiles vary widely with regard to how women view technology—particularly social media content—and integrate it into their lives.
In terms of follower count, working moms represent the greatest presence in online communities; however, Millennial moms most actively cultivate their online identities. Whether Millennial women enjoy this constant connectivity is another question. Among respondents, 56 percent of Millennials confirmed that constant social connectivity overwhelms them, in contrast to 43 percent of their Gen X counterparts.
Millennial moms also reported a high degree of brand interaction—22.5 brands on average—via social networks. The average among Gen X moms was a considerably lower 13.7 brands. Though they interact with more brands, the Millennial group also proved most likely to consider how a brand makes them feel before following. Millennial moms are 23 percent more likely than members of their generation as a whole to choose brands that connect to their personal identity.
As to why women seek out brand interaction in the first place, both working and stay-at-home moms said their primary reason for visiting a brand’s page is to find deals. Research was cited as a close second among working moms, but a more distant second among stay-at-home mothers.
Read more on women and social media from The Content Standard.
