Image // via attendee @Daljit_Bhurji

Sally Whittle (Founder of Tots 100), Carrie Longton (Co-founder of Mumsnet), and Rosemary Duff (Research Director at ChildWise) sat on the panel for #SMWLondon discussing how brands can best approach the modern mother through social media and traditional media.

The discussion was a chocked full of powerful data with top numbers including:

• 44% of mums between 18-44 are actively networked and visiting parenting forums, blogs, and brand pages at least once a week.
• 25% of UK mums feel parenting blogs are more independent and impartial that traditional media
• 40% of mums are more likely to make purchase from brands they like on Facebook because they’re in the front of the brain
• Mums spend 46 hrs/ week online compared to the general public’s avg of 34 hrs/week. 71% say family engages in tech together.
• 40% of 5-10 year olds are interacting with and accessing internet, touch screen phones, laptops

When it comes to ‘emotional’ purchases, mums are turning to social media for advice and guidance. Powerful parenting sites like Mumsnet are replacing google in searches. 

79% of users have purchased something after seeing recommendations on Mumsnet. Even when negative reviews are taken into account, it seems that mums are more likely to trust the positive reviews more. Brands should utilize this constructive feedback by consulting unsatisfied consumers on improvements and in the process cultivate brand ambassadors.

When it comes to approaching the ‘mummy blogger,’ the panel was able to offer great advice. Stray away from addressing your pitch in the vein of ‘Dear Mummy Blogger.’ Modern mothers are educated, have strong opinions worth asking for, and are often early adopters of new media. Brand campaigns that have ideas that allow creativity and capture memories have a head start. Also companies who are publicly ‘doing their bit’ by benchmarking CSR, are involved with charities and events Mums want to attend will have an easier time.

Beckie Stravers is a New Yorker, lifestyle blogger at Cubicle57.com, and a social media pusher at MakeYourMediaSocial.com. She loves tweets and the internet, and hopes to see  you around the world wide web. You can follow her on twitter @cubicle57blog. She is one of our four Official Correspondents covering SMW12 for Crowdcentric.