Explore key considerations for marketing to moms and how finservs are utilizing social media marketing to reach this demographic.
Embrace social mom networks
Facebook is the most popular social media platform among mothers. Brands that are looking to connect with moms will find that social media marketing is an effective avenue, particularly with young or first-time moms who use social media platforms as a support mechanism.
How are finservs embracing social mom networks?
Chase and Greenlight want to help parents teach kids good money habits. In digital advertising, both brands have prioritized Facebook to promote the products.
M&T Bank took a “mom knows best” approach in their messaging. The bank used a play on words to emphasize account monitoring with EZChoice Checking, “the account that is easy to mom-itor.”
Wells Fargo partnered with mom influencers to promote its drive-up food banks. From Q1-Q3 2020, more than 75% of the bank’s sponsored Instagram posts promoted its drive-up food banks.
Re-imagine the picture-perfect family
Moms are letting go of societal pressures to look “perfect,” and being an “All-American” family is a biased notion that doesn’t reflect the reality of many families.
In 2018, HP launched an ad that explored the biases people carry when they hear the phrase “all-American family.” It found 3 out of 4 people picture a white heterosexual couple with children.
As a sponsor of the No Barriers Summit, Wells Fargo partnered with mom and disability advocate, This Little Miggy.
Through this sponsorship and influencer partnerships, Wells Fargo aligned its brand with a more inclusive narrative and provided a platform for underrepresented voices.
PayPal and USAA appealed to time-strapped moms. Both brands promote their products as solutions.
Acknowledgement of the impact of COVID-19
As the pandemic upends work and home life, women are bearing the brunt of the burden.
Due to COVID-19, nearly half of moms have been forced to start working from home, now juggling their work, household responsibilities and children at the same time. More than 35% of employed moms have continued to go to work on-site, likely in essential working positions plaguing these moms with childcare challenges. These challenges are amplified for moms with younger children who need full-time supervision.
How are finservs acknowledging the impact of COVID-19?
In an employee campaign, Discover didn’t shy away from featuring working mothers. In June 2020, the company launched a social campaign featuring its employees working from home to safely support its customers.
U.S. Bank acknowledged how complicated 2020 can be for mothers in a lighthearted Mother’s Day commemoration.
“Happy Mother’s Day. Thank you to the multitaskers. The e-learning proctors. The sibling peace negotiators. The pet referees. The late night spreadsheet wranglers. The home hairstylists. The laundry mavens. The dishwasher Tetris queens. The boredom busters. The quarantine rule arbiters. The boo-boo fixers. The never-a-minute-alone moms. You’re doing great.”
Ellevest, an investment firm that caters to female investors, celebrated Venus Williams’ birthday with a powerful quote from the tennis star, mom, philanthropist, and Ellevest investor.
“…Because we’re the backbones, we’re the moms, and we’re the sisters that take care of the daughters that take care of the parents when the sons go off in a different direction. So, we’re very important to the backbone of society.”
While the post does not directly mention COVID-19, its encouraging message landed at a time when moms wearing multiple hats at home were feeling the stress.
What we think
Moms overwhelmingly feel underrepresented in advertisements.
To create more authentic and inclusive marketing—that is representative of “real” moms—consider these three areas:
- Support. Offer her solutions on social media to help her achieve her daily goals. How do your products/services make her better?
- Community. Don’t underestimate peer-to-peer recommendations. Moms rely on their personal and extended mom networks to make decisions. Encourage referrals and word-of-mouth. How do moms talk about your brand?
- Influence. Moms are not only engaging with peers and brands on social media, they are influencers in their own right. Consider how you can incorporate moms into your influencer marketing; consider not only social media platforms but podcasts as well. How can moms elevate your brand on these channels?