A guest post by Daniel Cassady.

Just because the country has been in a financial funk for the past few years, that doesn’t mean that mothers have lost their tremendous influence over the market. Walk into any department store, thrift store, or grocery store, and you’ll see what you have always seen, mothers shopping for their children, mothers providing.

The beauty of marketing to mom is that mothers (more so than almost any demographic) love to share the information they learn about what products are worthwhile---and which ones aren’t. Once a mother trusts your brand and your products, you can be sure that the word will spread like wildfire. That being said, here are a few things to remember when marketing to moms.

1. Develop a relationship. If you want to successfully market to moms, you have to remember one thing above all other things: Build a relationship. Mothers, especially new mothers, are looking for brands they can stick with, and that will stick with them, for the long haul. They want brands that are going to provide real value and quality products for years to come.

2. Get personal. The brands that resonate the most with mom are the ones who market their products with content that reaches out to them in a very real, personal way. Don’t clutter your marketing campaign with flashy photos and wordy subject lines. Speak truthfully, and speak from the heart, and moms will be able to see that you deserve their trust.

3. Be appreciative. Women, especially moms, have always appreciated small gestures of appreciation, like thank you notes for example. Let the moms that you market to know that you appreciate their influence among their peers. Offer them coupons and discounts as a gesture of thanks for their support of your business ... or you can always write them a note.

4. Learn their spending habits. Like I mentioned earlier in this article, everyone has been affected by the current state of the economy. More often than not, moms are buying generic brands and foregoing unnecessary spending---except when it comes to special occasions. Birthdays, Christmas, and anniversaries still warrant big spending. Keep an eye out for the big celebrations, and you’ll see the real spending power moms have.

5. Offer coupons. Moms love coupons. Make it a point to offer the moms on your marketing list a coupon every now and again, and you’ll be rewarded by loyalty and free word of mouth advertising. If you have any doubts about the power of a mom spreading the word about her favorite products, head down to your local playground on a Saturday or Sunday, and listen to what the moms are talking about.

There is no doubt in my mind that moms are some of the most loyal consumers, and every marketer would do well to acknowledge the buying power---and the free word-of-mouth advertising---that moms represent.

Daniel Cassady is an experienced freelancer, guest blogger, and frequent contributor to a blog hosted by Benchmark Email Marketing Company.