The Dos and Don’ts of E-marketing to Moms

The buying power of mothers tops $2.1 trillion a year, and they control 85% of household income. Is it any wonder moms are among the most coveted consumers in the U.S. market? While mothers represent a large portion of the consumer market, many companies have failed to employ effective strategies to attract and retain these valuable customers. As mothers are becoming more familiar with the internet, corporations must take advantage of the power of email marketing to reach this target demographic.

While many companies tend to group mothers together into one general category, it is important to recognize that all moms are different. Therefore, email marketing campaigns must have certain characteristics that provide mothers with the reassurance that their individual needs are being met, without wasting their time; e-marketing to moms requires that all messages be brief and direct, communicate the brand consistently by using the same “from” lines, and by offering frequent discount/service information.

According to a recent Lucid Marketing survey, 63% of mothers receive email newsletters from one to five senders. Therefore, these consumers express interest in receiving updates from their favorite brands, but marketers have to be careful not to take advantage of their willingness to acquire information. First of all, mothers are incredibly busy and will often forget about programs for which they have signed up, unless they are reminded immediately. Therefore, the first tip for creating effective email marketing campaigns targeted to moms is to send emails to these individuals immediately after they opt-in to receive information. If this step is not taken, mothers will forget about this opportunity, and perhaps even the brand. They should also be asked how often they would like to receive your email, as this shows personal attention to the needs of these consumers.

Another step that marketers can take to convey the importance of respecting the busy lifestyles of mothers is to keep their messages direct and to the point. Moms are constantly running around and do not have time to read extended messages that beat around the bush. In addition, moms (and consumers in general) will not tolerate any information that is omitted from the value proposition of the product or service. As 59% of mothers base their opt-ins on perceived value, they need to know all of the costs and benefits of a brand, product, or service. Some easy methods of providing convenience for moms are to include photographs of products and links to the company website in the body of email messages.

Not only is the quality of content in the body of an email important to mothers, but they also value the consistency and trustworthiness of the information found in the “from” line of these emails. This is incredibly relevant for branding purposes, as consumers will be able to easily recognize messages from their favorite products or services and construct an image of a particular brand. In addition, they will be less inclined to read emails from companies that include brand abbreviations in the “from” line. The lesson to be learned for marketers is to be consistent in the portrayal of their brands in all aspects of the email marketing campaign.

Recent research also suggests that email promoting product or service discounts and promotions are valuable to mothers. In a recent survey, 72.5% of respondents indicated that the most attractive email offers are ones that include a subject line promising a discount. These subject lines are clear, to the point, identify the brand, and promote consumer convenience and uniqueness.

Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to attract and retain mothers as loyal customers, but online messaging and targeting must pay attention to the needs of those who actually read the email when creating e-campaigns. Listening to mothers will help marketers break through the clutter of advertising and tap into this growing and profitable market.

Vanguard Financial Consulting understands the strategies behind reaching this very specific target in the ways they preferred to be reached.
Contact Vanguard today and start connecting with the segments your company needs to reach!

Source: MarketingSherpa, Special Report: Marketing to Moms, Part II: Tap into Mommy Power: Use Credibility, Email, Segmentation and More ; September 4, 2008