Moms are active in terms of mobile email, making it a perfect engagement channel

Mothers have traditionally been regarded as the gatekeepers of the household. Win over the mom of the house and brands can ensure a family’s loyalty for years to come, as she controls much of what is purchased.

Although the number of stay-at-home dads is on the rise and this age-old perception of the household is being challenged in the modern family environment, the fact of the matter is that mothers are still an attractive target audience for many brands. According to one study from the U.S. Census Bureau, mothers are the breadwinners of 40 percent of U.S. households, yet nearly 60 percent of working mothers say they still control household expenses and budgets alone, a separate report from Working Mother magazine found.

Brands looking to reach families, particularly those selling household goods, need to refine their marketing efforts and utilize the channels that are the most effective for engaging moms.

The utility of mobile devices help mothers be more productive

For many advertisers, mobile devices may be the go-to channel for successfully reaching moms. Smartphones have seen a sharp uptick in adoption by mothers over recent years, as these devices allow this demographic to be more productive – they can communicate with their family, download coupons, keep track of events, purchase goods and perform other tasks.

According to data collected by eMarketer, 87 percent of U.S. moms now own smartphones – that’s a significant jump from the 59 percent who did in 2011. Their phones always seem to be within an arm’s distance away, whether they’re at a grocery store, work, home, driving their kids to school or in bed, making mobile the perfect engagement channel.

In particular, mobile email advertising may be an effective way of reaching prospective customers. Although texting was the top mobile activity for moms, with 96 percent of respondents taking part, emailing was voted No. 2 at 91 percent.

This means that brands should not only be using email advertising to reach prospective customers, but these messages must also be optimized for the smaller screens of smartphones. If display ads aren’t fine-tuned for these devices, the promotional messaging and content of the units could be difficult to see or understand, which may result in lower conversion rates.