Why mums own social 

media

http://mab397.wordpress.com/2011/04/29/why-mums-own-social-media/

Forget advertising vs digital vs creative vs PR vs search, the real owners of social media are the
communities that thrive around common interests, shared activity or personal relationships. And
one of the most prevalent communities in Australia belongs to our mums.

Essential Baby released results from a survey of over 4,000 Aussie mums who are members of their
community.

92% of these mums actively engage with social media, including Facebook, Twitter and EB
community

This stat may seem obvious given the survey audience but almost 80% of these members have been
a part of the Essential Baby community for at least 6 months and 22% of them have been members
for over 3 years. The desire for content, advice or a common interest is strong but the members use
their associations with one another (enabled by more personal network platforms) to turn a
directory of information into a community.

30% of mums confess to be on Facebook constantly throughout the day and 73% check in to their
social networks at least once a day

I think 30% of SMEGs would struggle to match that kind of usage! We know 9 million Aussies use the
‘book but how many get the chance to stay connected throughout the day? With the amount of time
it takes a mum to get out of the house with a baby in tow, the ease of connecting with friends, family
and other mums online doesn’t mean that social media replaces real world interaction but it
certainly improves it.

This stat is also a great proof point for the amount of daily content and conversation generated by
popular parenting communities who post Facebook updates multiple times a day. The
audience is there so if mums are your target market why not take the opportunity to interact with
them on a daily basis? Be warned, this level of interaction in a campaign will require an online
editorial strategy – enough relevant and interesting content to seed every day.

On the flipside, if 73% of the audience only checked in once a week then you’d still need to consider
frequent updates to ensure that your post is seen – how often do you see updates from more than 1
or 2 days ago in your news feed?

37% use social media to connect with friends, 20% to follow offers, discounts and promotions and
25% to share photos

I’ve written before about the debate between consolidating your audience in one place vs giving a
niche audience exactly what they want. 20% of these mums use social media to save money on
products. If you’ve got regular offers, discounts or promotions you should be letting them know
exactly where to find them! This may mean a second Twitter account, a smaller Facebook page or
even a commitment to posting deals to sites like Buckscoop or Top Bargains but if this is your
audience it’ll be worth the effort.

It’s no surprise that photo sharing is huge with mums. Social media takes the family fridge door hall
of fame and plasters it on the virtual walls of grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends and even
casual acquaintances. If you’re looking for a way to engage mums in your campaign, remember this
pride and eagerness to share photos.

Why should you care about mums and social media?

99% of the mums surveyed by Essential Baby are grocery buyers

54% have a cat or a dog

30% spend $600+ a year on toys per child

Most shop twice a week at Woolworths or Coles

Over 70% test drive 3 or more cars and research for 1-3 months before purchasing

45% manage their family finances, another 35% share the task

If your job is to sell stuff to A/B grocery buyers then you should have a presence in social media.

Disclaimer: these statistics were shared with me by Fairfax Digital, a client of Hill & Knowlton. I have
not been asked to promote Essential Baby (which is a property of Fairfax Digital), however I showed
interest in stats around the use of social media by Aussie mums and requested to write about the
survey.