The Difference Being a Mom Makes

What do women want?

Having kids changes your life. It may also change your feelings about online marketing, according to the “What Women Want Consumer Survey” by Prospectiv.

More moms than women without children said they did not mind seeing online discounts and coupons for products that interested them, and moms were less likely to report skipping over such offers. Mothers also reported trusting online coupons more than female Internet users without children.

When asked what they would like to see in marketing e-mails, 45% of moms said they wanted information relevant to their lifestyle, and another 21% said they wanted to see “anything they send me.” Women without children were much pickier: 35% did not want any information at all, while 30% were interested in messages pertaining to their lifestyle.

There is a lot of buzz around mommy bloggers, but Prospectiv data suggests marketers may be overestimating their usefulness. Just 1% of moms surveyed thought blogs were the most effective way to promote a brand, compared with 47% who favored product samples offered online and 40% who preferred coupons.

Female Internet users without children actually liked blogs better than moms did—but blogs still came in near the bottom of the list.

Samples were also effective as a purchase driver: 39% of all female Internet users told the research firm they would be most apt to buy a product after trying it out. Sales and discounts would get about three in 10 women (31%) to purchase. Notably, females without children were twice as likely as moms to say they would pick something up based on a personal recommendation from a friend, family member or co-worker.