When Buying for their Children, Millennial Parents Trust Reviews
While parents have always cared about their children, present-day parents differ from those of 10 or 20 years ago. Most of today’s parents of young children are millennials born between the years 1981 and 1996.
When it comes time to choose the best products for their little ones, these millennial parents act a bit differently than parents in the 1990s or even early 2000s. Rather than flipping through catalogs and asking their own parents for advice, they turn to online reviews, social media feeds, and their peers.
To understand how these new parents shop for products they can trust, stay with us.
Who Are Millennial Parents?
Before we get into how millennial parents make purchasing decisions, let’s make it clear who these parents are. They were born between 1981 and 1996, so they’re between 25 and 41 years old in 2021.
In Singapore, about 22% of the population is made of up millennials. While not all of these people choose to have children, the majority of women giving birth today are millennials. Women in Singapore give birth to their first child at an average age of 30.6 and to their second child at an average age of 32.9. That means the majority of mothers caring for infants and toddlers today are millennials.
Some of these parents stay at home with their children while other work from home or at an office. No matter their lifestyle, they care deeply about their children and only want what’s best for them.
They Talk to Their Friends
One of the first points of learning what’s best for their children is talking to other young parents.
Millennial parents are in close connection with their friends, especially their circle of parenting friends. They chat about their babies’ first steps, the best babysitters in the area, and what products they love.
In fact, millennial moms turn to other moms for all sorts of purchasing decisions, from apparel to home goods to social networking sites. The vast majority of millennial moms said that others frequently or occasionally ask them for their opinion about buying a product. And when their friends ask, they are happy to give their thoughts and share their personal experiences.
Millennial parents dish about the great newborn photographer they found and share where they found organic baby clothes nearby. And since their friends value their opinions, they listen.
Tuned Into Social Media
Millennial parents don’t just connect with their friends in person. As people who spent their formative years in the presence of the internet and screens, millennials are comfortable with the digital world.
They spend upwards of 17 hours each week on online and social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram. While on these platforms, they connect with all sorts of people and brands, including those they haven’t met in person. They look at photos, read comments, and interact with friends.
Unsurprisingly, social media is a great way to reach these parents. According to Bustle, 81% of millennial moms said social media is the best way to reach them. Additionally, these moms use a mobile device rather than a laptop for the majority of their online time. That makes sense since moms can spend their time quickly scrolling through their feed while their little one is down for a nap.
Not only do millennial moms spend time looking at content, but they also spend time sharing their own lives. Eight-five percent of millennial women post photos of their life on social media, and they often include captions and links.
Along with posting about their personal lives, millennial parents aren’t afraid to share their opinions on products they love. Millennial moms “like” or recommend products on average of 10 times each month. And that’s only unsolicited comments they share with the broader world.
Some parents are contacted to become influencers for brands, sharing products with their large social media followings.
The Value of User Generated Content
While millennial parents may learn of a product from social media, that doesn’t mean they’ll purchase it right away.
The truth is that millennials can be a bit skeptical. While they spend hours reading company marketing material and viewing influencer product endorsements, these actions don’t always lead to trust in a product.
As mentioned above, millennials trust information from those they know personally. But the problem is they don’t always know a friend that owns a product they’re interested in. This is where user generated reviews come in.
A whopping 97% of millennials read reviews from websites such as SGBabyReivew before choosing a company or product. These reviews are helpful if millennial parents don’t have friends they can talk to about a product or if they want second opinions. Parents feel these reviews are authentic since they’re written by people such as themselves.
The key is that this more informed generation of parents trusts other parents, rather than information given to them by companies themselves.
An Authentic Appeal
If we were to choose one word to sum up how millennial parents decide on their purchases, it’s authenticity. They value brands that share their stories in a transparent and authentic way. But more importantly, they value third-party information and reviews.
Before they buy a pair of baby shoes they want to know what other parents think. Are the shoes easy to put on? Are they easy to wash? What did parents love and hate about them?
If you’re a parent looking for authentic reviews, you’re in the right place! SGBabyReview compiles reviews from parents all across Singapore. That means you can find products you and your little ones will love.
So don’t be shy! Read reviews, find a product you love, and then leave your own review to help other parents out. After all, we’re together in this journey of raising our little ones.
By SGBabyReview
