Why Moms Have Power

There’s been a lot of buzz about moms these days as more companies (finally) begin to realize their influence (36.2 million American moms actively participate in blogs) and purchasing power ($2.1 trillion) in the online world. We see more of our clients–and potential clients–trying to get a handle on moms, the best way to reach them, how to influence them, get them on their side, and believe in their product or service.

Being a mom of two very active young boys under the age of six has been the most humbling, wonderful, excruciating, rewarding, challenging positions I’ve ever held. And, as much as I love what I do professionally, my role of mommy is the most important.

Until you walk a mile in our shoes, you can’t really know what it’s like to be a mom. But here are a few things I’ve learned first-hand and from being in contact with moms every day:

Moms are loyal – Show me respect, quality and value and you will earn my loyalty–and that of 100 of my mommy friends. Make me feel special and I will rave about you. Treat me poorly and I will rant about you.

Moms have each other’s backs – Whether it’s an issue that will affect our children, our health, or give us any opportunity to save time or money (like how to get a great pair of shoes for half off, or tips that help us get dinner on the table in lightning speed), we moms look out for each other–and tell our friends. I once posted about an amazing organic veggie delivery service on the mother’s club chat I frequent. If a fellow mom tried the service and wanted to mention my name, I’d get a free box of produce. No surprise: I had free produce for months!

Moms have brains – Don’t talk down to us or call us crazy. Motherhood is hard enough without having some seemingly clever marketing executive telling us we’re inadequate, or how we should be feeling. (Remember the Motrin fiasco?)

Moms get fired up – If we believe in a cause, we will speak out. Moms unite, and quickly. Here’s a good example: In early April, tragedy struck well-known mommy blogger Heather Spohr, when her 17-month old daughter Maddie passed away suddenly. Though grief stricken, Spohr turned to her blog and to Twitter, encouraging people to donate to the March of Dimes in honor of Maddie. Within two days, the organization received over $20,000—and according to a tweet posted by Spohr on April 19, a total of nearly $56,000 has been raised.

Moms stick together – Sure, we trust our doctors but we really value the word and personal experience of our peers. We know they’re in the same boat and are looking out for us.

Moms can multi-task – We can change a diaper, sing a lullaby and participate in a conference call at the same time. But make our lives easier (while maintaining our value), and we’ll love you.

Moms have a built-in BS-meter – We’re de-coding what our children are telling us every day. Feed us a line? We’ll see right through it. Be forthright.

Moms like to laugh – With all of the things we experience as moms (children hanging from the chandeliers, coloring on walls, bodily fluids, and other mortifying moments), we moms have to laugh–or some days, we’ll cry. Humor goes a long way.