A decade ago, teenagers used social media to connect with their peers. Today, this same group is part of the Millennial generation – many of whom are moms. So, why is this important to social media marketers?
It was a big deal when advertising was introduced to social media in 2005. At first, its reach was limited. Today, it’s evolved into a far-reaching network. Starting in 2015, social media shifted to become a growing advertising platform, attracting a wide variety of demographics. So far this year, $8.4 billion has been spent on advertising, and is predicted to surpass $14 billion by 2018. While social media was once a free advertising tool for brands, they now must spend marketing dollars to have their messages, services, and goods seen. In 2014, mobile advertising made up 68% of Facebook’s revenue and 84% of Twitter’s revenue – stats that truly highlight this shift.
To effectively reach Millennial moms, companies need to embrace this shift to social media advertising, and fully understand how to leverage it. Traditional marketing methods have decreased in popularity, as more and more brands shift to digital media, and social media advertising in particular. Social media is such a powerful tool for marketers, as 81% of U.S. adults use the Internet and 56% are active on Facebook.
Millennial moms use social media to search for products and services, do research, and read reviews and recommendations from other moms. In turn, social media advertising also lets brands get their products and services in front of moms even before they research or think about them. Simply put, it’s allowed brands to stay one step ahead of their target audience. Traditional advertising doesn’t have the ability to target specific audiences like social media advertising does. Social media marketing is loved for its efficiency – ads are relevant to and market to moms based on their interests, personalities, and behaviors. This allows brands to target the right audiences and gain the right followers – at precisely the right time. Brands can also receive highly valuable, instant feedback through engagement such as likes, comments, and shares.
There has also been a huge increase in video advertising on social media, especially through Facebook and Twitter. Consumers constantly watch videos online, both from computers and mobile devices. For example, big-name brands like Ford and McDonald’s now use video ads on social media – an emerging trend that can be expected to rise. Marketers are predicted to spend about $7.77 billion on digital ads in 2015 – 30% more than in 2014.
Another popular social media trend is the use of “buy” or “shop now” buttons on advertisements for products, services, and apps. The Millennial mom loves social media for browsing and shopping because of the ability to communicate with other moms about reviews and to view the product before making a purchase decision. It’s also convenient for them because they can buy these items instantly from their mobile device, without having to be at their desktop computer. Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram all have ”buy” buttons, and Facebook is quickly moving in that direction as it rolls out new features.
Social media marketing used to be about gaining the most likes or followers. Today, the goal is to attract genuine interest and quality followers to achieve better engagement and brand awareness. When marketing to moms, it’s important to be active and up-to-date on your social media channels, all while providing genuine, relevant content. Millennial moms are avid social media users, and want to see current information from their favorite brands. What they don’t want to see are the same ads or content over and over. To increase engagement, brands must post content that will resonate with their target audience, and lead to many shares, comments, and likes.
It’s clear that social media itself has transformed greatly in even the last few years. It’s now the go-to source for Millennial moms, and the best platform to market to them. Optimize your social media channels to successfully reach the Millennial mom. To learn more about marketing to moms on social media, download our free white paper.
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: Social Media Advertising and the Millennial Mom
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