BSM Media releases new data showing how moms use Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok differently across discovery, research, and purchase decisions.
POMPANO BEACH, FL, UNITED STATES, May 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — BSM Media today released new findings from The Marketing to the Modern Mom Survey, revealing a major shift in how modern mothers use social media to purchase products. The research shows that while Facebook remains the platform where moms spend the most regular digital time, Instagram is the platform most likely to drive purchase behavior. The survey of 584 U.S. mothers found that 80.99% cite Facebook as a top three digital destination, compared with 78.31% for Instagram. However, Instagram leads all social platforms in purchase likelihood, with a weighted score of 4.60, followed by Facebook at 4.20 and TikTok at 3.61.
“Modern Moms use social media to discovery products and remail online to purchase,” explains Maria Bailey, CEO of BSM Media and author of Marketing to Moms (Wyatt-McKenzie, 2022). “Surprisingly, moms are buying from other moms who are hosting live shopping events.”
Key Findings
Facebook owns attention, but Instagram owns conversion. Eighty-one percent of moms spend regular digital time on Facebook, while 78% are active on Instagram. Yet Instagram ranks highest for purchase likelihood, signaling that brands need different strategies for each platform.
Instagram is not an impulse-buy platform for most moms. The survey found that 70.04% of respondents describe their Instagram path to purchase as: See → Save → Research → Buy Later. Only 4.96% click and buy immediately after seeing a product on Instagram.
Short-form content drives engagement. The formats moms most frequently watch and engage with include Facebook posts at 61.98%, Instagram Reels at 55.79%, Instagram Stories at 52.07%, Instagram static posts at 34.71%, and TikTok in-feed videos at 32.64%.
Influencer reviews matter but trust still requires reinforcement.
Twenty-six percent of moms watch influencer reviews specifically to inform purchase decisions, while 31% save ideas to boards or collections for later. This leads to a longer research journey where influencer content must work alongside reviews, search visibility, community discussion, and retail availability.
TikTok is a discovery platform, not yet the strongest conversion platform for moms.
Nearly 48% of moms are regular TikTok users, and the platform ranks third for purchase likelihood. However, TikTok trails Instagram and Facebook on the trust and research behaviors that typically support conversion.
What This Means for Brands
The findings suggest that brands targeting mothers need a platform-native social commerce strategy.
“Facebook should be used to build community, spark conversation, and reach moms where they already gather organically. Instagram should be treated as the primary conversion engine, especially through Reels, Stories, saved content, influencer reviews, and product discovery touchpoints,” explains Bailey, who helps to connect brands with mom consumers. “TikTok should be used for trend-driven awareness, but brands should create clear handoffs to search, retail, reviews, and owned content where moms can continue researching before they buy.”
For influencer marketers, the data also reinforces an important point: a single sponsored post is rarely enough. Mom-focused campaigns should be designed around the full decision journey, from first discovery to saved content, search validation, Amazon or retail reviews, community conversation, and eventual purchase.
About the Survey
The Marketing to the Modern Mom Survey was conducted in April 2026 via online survey and includes 584 complete responses from mothers across the United States. Respondents represent a range of life stages, household sizes, employment statuses, and geographic locations. The survey was designed to capture actionable consumer insights about modern mothers’ purchasing behavior, digital media habits, brand preferences, and attitudes toward emerging technologies.
About BSM Media
BSM Media is a leading marketing-to-moms agency specializing in mom influencer campaigns, retail product launches, social commerce strategy, and AI search optimization for brands that want to reach mothers with credibility and measurable impact. Founded by Maria Bailey, BSM Media has helped brands connect with moms through research, strategic influencer programs, content creation, and retail-focused activations designed to move consumers from discovery to purchase.
For more information, visit www.bsmmedia.com.
MARIA BAILEY
BSM MEDIA
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