Today’s mums audience is more diverse than ever, incorporating women of several different ages as well as the traditional divisions between working mothers and stay-at-home mums. However the many different segments of the mums audience have one thing in common – a growing dependence on the internet.
Microsoft Advertising has been studying the habits of online mums since 2008, when it first surveyed those members of the mums audience who went online regularly. A follow-up report in 2010 confirmed many of the first study’s findings whilst proving that the web is becoming more ingrained in the lives of online mums. Throughout the journey from mothers-to-be to empty nesters, the web is prized for its convenience and its crucial role helping them to juggle the demands of work, family and everyday life.
The mums audience is online throughout the day, with over 50% of mums online at almost any time. For 94% of online mums email is the preferred channel for staying in touch with friends, more popular than texting or calling; 45% use Instant Messenger, with IM particularly popular amongst working mums. Mums are also dedicated online shoppers, with 62% shopping for the household on the web, and 30% shopping for themselves online. And with busy lives, the web is a valued and flexible source of entertainment: 63% of mums watch online video, 53% play online games and 51% get their daily gossip fix online.
The research also provides key insights into how advertisers can most effectively reach the mums audience: providing the rewards that mums expect from the web through cost savings, online vouchers and other incentives, and delivering creative impact to help messages stand out within online mums’ busy lives.
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