03 Jul The Surprising New HomeBuyer Demographic: Breadwinner Moms
The new statistics are staggering – today, four in ten households with children under 18 include mothers who are either the sole or primary source of income for the family.
The 2010 Census offered a first glimpse at the growth of this group and now Pew Research has provided us with more information on the growth of Breadwinner Moms. What did this research reveal?
Two different groups. The “breadwinner moms” are made up of two very different groups: 37% are married mothers who have a higher income than their husbands, while 63% are single mothers.
Women make up almost of half (47%) of the U.S. labor force today. The employment rate of married mothers with children has increased from 37% in 1968 to 65% in 2011.
More women really want to work full time. The share of mothers saying their ideal situation would be to work full time increased from 20% in 2007 to 32% in 2012. And the share saying they would prefer to stay at home fell from 29% to 20%.
Mixed emotions about women working. About 75% of adults say the increasing number of women working for pay has made it harder for parents to raise children; at the same time, two-thirds actually say it has made it easier for families to live comfortably.
How do you advertise to these breadwinner moms?
Most moms say online ads promoting products geared towards the family and home fall flat, finding them irrelevant or distracting. They respond much more enthusiastically to online ads that offer product coupons, sales promotion codes and/or other incentives. Moms continue to rely on social media, niche websites, and mobile devices for their information.
Since research finds that moms prefer ads with special offers and discounts, why not take advantage? Attract mothers to your site or social media channels with ads offering coupon downloads, rebates, or sample requests. Encourage her to share these offers with her friends and contribute back to the community with product reviews, fun photos, and other comments.
Use social media to offer truly helpful and useful branded content like tips, ideas, advice, how-to videos, news, etc.
Moms also respond and share messages that are cause-worthy. According to 2010 Cone Cause Evolution research, 95 percent of American moms believe cause marketing is acceptable, 92 percent want to buy a product that supports a cause, and 93 percent are likely to switch brands because of the brand’s support of a cause.
Don’t overlook mobile devices – moms rarely find themselves untethered these days. Mobile makes Mom’s life easier, and advertisers have a huge opportunity to literally put their brand in Mom’s pocket.
Most importantly – you must be easy for moms to find. Prominently display your social media accounts and have direct calls-to-action encouraging moms to connect with your brand. Remember, if you are going to do this, you must have worthwhile and active accounts to visit – there’s nothing worse than a brand promoting its social media account and having there be tumbleweeds or product promotion only when moms click through to visit.
How do you reach this growing demographic? Share your thoughts by commenting below!
