Parents: how mums and dads interact with brands on Twitter

Being a parent means you have to spin multiple plates, be it cooking, shopping, as well as looking after the kids. 

At the same time Twitter performs a key role in helping to keep them spinning. 

With this in mind, we explored the lives of parents using Twitter Insiders, our community of Twitter users. According to our research*, 62% of them are daily users. They are split roughly 50:50 across mums and dads. 

Mums, dads, and brands on Twitter

Although both mums and dads are likely to engage with brands, they tend to use Twitter in different ways. 

Out of the two groups, mums (53%) are more likely to follow brands than dads (39%). Additionally, 42% of mums watch brand video, and 4-in-10 Retweet brand content. 

But when it comes to dads, 1-in-3 watch brand videos and say they take advantage of brand discounts they find on Twitter. 

Mums and dads are broadly in alignment when it comes to viewing brand-generated Twitter content. 

The majority are interested in product-related news stories and updates. There is also a substantial minority who are interested in useful brand-generated information or content in Tweets that makes them laugh. 

Twitter parents have a number of reasons to reach out directly to a brand through Twitter. 

41% use it to contact customer service, 37% to voice an opinion on a product or brand, and 25% who want to make a product enquiry . 

Favourite sectors 

Retail and entertainment features in the top 5 brand categories on Twitter for both groups. For dads, the most popular brands to follow are sports-related, with technology and music also well-received. 

Mums are more retail focused, both in terms of the luxuries and the essentials. 53% follow retail brands while 42% said they follow supermarkets. 

Mums buy household products

One of the main differences between mums and dads involves that most contentious of areas - household tasks.

Mums are clearly in the majority when it comes to taking responsibility for household chores. At the extreme end, around 80% of mums, compared to 20% of dads, said they did the laundry and cleaning. 

Furthermore, Mums are also in charge when it comes to buying for the home. 69% say they make the decisions when it comes to making day-to-day household purchases. 

This compares with 59% of dads. Instead, a large proportion of dads said they looked after administrative tasks like paying bills and arranging insurance. 

Of course, the most important thing about being a parent is bringing up your children. But it is also about homebuilding and, due to the responsibilities of parenting, spending more time in that home. 

Both Twitter mums and dads use Twitter to seek out information and entertainment about all of this. It goes to highlight the positive impact Twitter can have when it comes to communicating with parents and helping to keep those plates spinning. 

*Source: GWI, Twitter  users  1+ children, children 18 and under, UK, 2017.

Using Twitter Insiders, our online community of Twitter users, we explored the lives and routines of parents on Twitter. From their daily routines, to their ambitions and relationship with brands.