If you haven’t realized it yet, parents are always spending money on their children. In fact, according to a 2018 OppLoan survey, parents spend an average of $9,470 per child per year. However, according to Jamie Durham of Brand Wise, 73% of moms surveyed complained that advertisers don’t understand them and don’t understand their needs. Marketing to parents is clearly something most companies need to improve.
How to Market to Parents Better
It’s time to update your strategies and meet parents where they are. Modern marketing to parents is all about building relationships, increasing trust, and problem solving that comes right to their phones. So the first step in marketing to parents better is becoming mobile friendly. But, it doesn’t stop there.
Read on and see how you can master advertising to modern parents.
Marketing to Parents on Social Media
The millennial generation has grown up with social media. It is part of their everyday life, every day. Social media for most parents is not just a place to connect with friends and family. Instead, it is the hub of information that they turn to first. When millennial parents need a product or service, they are most likely to find it through social media.
This happens in three ways:
- Sponsored ads that are tailored to individual shopping habits and lifestyles
- Using social media platforms, such as Facebook, as a search engine
- Recommendations via online contacts in groups or on personal pages
If your brand does not have a strong social media presence, you are missing out on marketing to parents who use those channels for shopping and communication.
How to Adapt Your Marketing to Changing Technology
Where parents get advice is not the only thing changing in the 21st century. How people interact and shop has continued to evolve. The biggest leap has been artificial intelligence assistants, such as Siri and Alexa, that not only turn on the lights and play your favorite music, but have changed how people find information.
We all know that most people use the Internet for much of their shopping needs. However, did you know that the growing majority are searching via voice search? Instead of sitting down at a computer, parents are asking their favorite assistant questions all day long, including where to find products and services. That means that in order to be found, you need to optimize content for voice search.
Inspire Confidence through Reviews
Just as social media plays a huge role in parents’ decisions and buying habits, so does social proof. Parents want to know that your product is safe, effective, and lives up to expectations before even considering buying it. When deciding between product A and B, parents will consult reviews, and ratings.
This means you need to inspire confidence when marketing to parents through reviews and testimonials. A catchy commercial isn’t enough, parents want to know what other parents think. So, move over celebrity endorsements and say hello to cultivating the trust of the mom next door through reviews by her peers.
Solve a Problem for Parents
One thing that never changes is that parents have questions and problems. Solve them! Modern parents want answers and they want them now. They aren’t just searching for a product, they are searching for solutions. Your online website, social media, and email list need to provide incredible value. It isn’t enough to just promote your sales or tell people about your products. You need to build a relationship.
Provide content that speaks to parents and helps them in their everyday life. Podcasts, blog posts, videos and information portals all make parents loyal fans, and paying customers. They want to know that when they have a question about x, y, and z, you have the answers. Even if they aren’t ready to buy something. By providing the information and inspiration that parents crave you are not only building brand awareness, but creating organic growth.