Millennial Moms Spend 17 Hours Each Week on Social Networks, Four Hours More Than the Average Mom

NEW YORK, June 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Research released today from global public relations firm Weber Shandwick uncovers insights about a digitally-connected and highly influential segment of North American women: Millennial Moms. These women, born between 1978 and 1994 who account for 22 percent of North American moms, are highly connected and spend an average of 17 hours each week on social network sites.

"Marketers need to wipe the mom slate clean and recognize the diversity of the mom target. Our research shows that Millennial Moms are more digitally connected than older moms and spend a great deal of time on their social networks," says Leslie Gaines-Ross, Chief Reputation Strategist, Weber Shandwick. "These women are armed with information and are inherently influential both online and offline. Their digital connectedness gives them a much different perspective of motherhood and brands need to learn how to better engage them in this new social era."

Vital Social Statistics of Millennial Moms

Key Insights of Millennial Moms

Our research reveals insights about this younger segment of moms that highlight opportunities for marketers and communicators to tap into:

• Millennial Moms are highly connected. Millennial Moms have more social networks than moms overall (3.4 accounts vs. 2.6 accounts, respectively). Millennial Moms spend 17.4 hours per week on these sites, nearly four hours more than the average mom.
• Millennial Moms are highly influential. Nearly three-quarters (74 percent) of Millennial Moms say they are sought out more often than other friends for advice on a wide range of topics. They are more likely than moms overall to provide recommendations online and to be asked by others for their opinions on products. In an average month, Millennial Moms "like" or recommend products or services online 10.4 times while the average mom does so 7.7 times.
• Millennial Moms share more information about products and services.  At least nine in 10 Millennial Moms share information about apparel, retail stores and groceries/food and beverages (in-person, online or both). Compared to moms overall, Millennial Moms are better sharers of information for several categories, including: goods for the home, websites or social networking sites, products or services for digital devices, financial investments and life insurance coverage.
• Millennial Moms value life management assistance. About one-quarter (26 percent) of Millennial Moms would be interested in paying $50 per month to have someone help manage their lives and one in five (20 percent) would be willing to pay $150. The main reason for their willingness to pay for life management outsourcing is lack of time/busy schedule. 

Engaging Millennial Moms

It is not surprising that this age group is so digitally connected, but our data demonstrates Millennial Moms' high potential for brand advocacy and viral promotion when successfully engaged.

Here are some easy to follow engagement strategies:

• Recognize the potential of Millennial Moms as influencers in all sectors. In the United States, Millennial Moms are 9 million women strong. Companies of all types should ensure they are leveraging the opportunities of an influential and interested demographic that they may have traditionally overlooked.
• Do not lump all moms into one market segment. Not all Millennial Moms are in two-parent families with dual-incomes. Many Millennial Moms may have difficulty identifying with images of the traditional two-parent family. Marketers and communicators need to develop campaigns that focus on the mother-child relationship and the independent identity that some Millennial Moms have built for themselves.
• Develop products – including digital ones like apps – that  help make Millennial Moms' lives simpler. They are looking for less complexity in their lives. Whether or not they are willing to pay a premium for simplicity should be determined through additional research, but our findings suggest that Millennial Moms see value in life-managing resources.

Please view our infographic and report for the full results of Digital Women Influencers: Millennial Moms here.

About the Study

Weber Shandwick partnered with KRC Research to conduct Digital Women Influencers. The purpose of the study was to identify underleveraged segments of women who are active online and provide new insights about the female market in this new era of digital engagement. The online research was conducted in August 2012 among 2,000 women, ages 18 and over, in the United States and Canada. Millennial Moms is the third segment reported in this series, following The Power of the PANK®: Engaging New Digital Influencers, a co-branded report with Melanie Notkin, founder of Savvy Auntie® and the lifestyle brand designed around PANKs, and the Women of Social Media.  

About Weber Shandwick

Weber Shandwick is a leading global public relations firm with offices in 81 countries around the world. The firm has won numerous awards for innovative approaches and creative campaigns including being named both The Holmes Report's 2012 Global Agency of the Year and the "Most Creative PR Firm in the World," based on the agency's first-place finish in its "Creative Index," as well as PR News' 2012 Digital PR Firm of the Year. Major practice areas include consumer marketing, healthcare, technology, public affairs, financial services, corporate and crisis management. The firm has deep, award-winning expertise in social media and digital marketing that helps drive engagement. Weber Shandwick is part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). For more information, visit http://www.webershandwick.com.

About KRC Research

KRC Research is a full-service market research firm that specializes in the kind of research needed for effective communications—communications that reach, engage and persuade. A unit of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG), KRC Research offers the quality and custom service of a small firm along with the reach of a global organization. For over 30 years, KRC Research has worked on behalf of corporations, governments, not-for-profits and the communications firms that represent them. Staffed with market research professionals from the worlds of political campaigns, consumer marketing, journalism and academia, we are flexible, practical, creative, knowledgeable and fast, combining sophisticated research tools with real-world communications experience. For more information, visit www.krcresearch.com

Contact:
Jennifer Norton
Weber Shandwick
212.445.8314
[email protected]

SOURCE Weber Shandwick