Moms love to talk. They’re sharing everything from how to keep your toddler in her new big girl bed until the sun comes up to which brand of dishwasher soap works best. The trick for brands is figuring out how to naturally pop up in these conversations in a positive way.

According to a new study called “The Mom Next Door: How and Why Moms Make Recommendations,” the vast majority of moms are super recommenders. A whopping 71 percent of moms recommend products at least once a month and 50 percent make recommendations daily or weekly. Perhaps most telling, 93 percent of moms say they’re influenced by a thumbs-up from another mom.

But we wondered exactly how a brand can earn this kind of word-of-mouth marketing. What are the moms out there recommending? And what prompts them to sing those brands’ praises?

We reached out to nearly 20 moms to ask about what they’d recently recommended and why that product made the cut. Nearly two-thirds of these glowing reviews took place either face-to-face or during a personal phone conversation, and a product endorsement from a friend seemed to hold the most weight. “I’d certainly believe a recommendation most strongly if it came from one of my close friends in a conversation,” one mom told us. “Because I know they live much like I and my family live, and I know I could trust their judgment.”

And what exactly were these moms recommending? Anything and everything—from PackIt freezable lunch bags and Tide Pods to See Kai Run shoes and Skip Hop diaper products. But despite the range of items, a few common themes came up that might help you win recommendations for your brand:

1.) Impress the Kid, Impress the Mom

If you can win over the child, you’re much more likely to win over the mom. Several women told us they recommend products to other moms when their children love them.

One new mom, Amy, told us a touching story about her daughter’s affection for a Haba teething toy. “She just loved everything about it and would play with it for long periods of time,” the mom said. “It was just a simple old-fashioned sort of toy, but one that obviously captured her imagination.” After this positive experience, the mom showed the toy to a friend with a three-month-old baby and gave it her recommendation.

Beth, a mom with two sons, recommended the Skylanders video game when another mom asked about it in an online message board. “I told her it was a big hit with my kids last Christmas,” she says. “And they are asking for the new version coming out soon. I especially liked it because it was different from the normal post-apocalyptic, shoot-em-up video games that they play.”

2.) Save Her Time or Money

These two resources are in short supply for most moms, so if you can help tilt the scale back in her favor, she’s more likely to tout your brand’s benefits.

One mom of two, Tricia, told us about recommending the Spot Shot Instant Carpet Stain Remover to a friend whose little one had drawn on the carpet with permanent marker. “The carpet cleaner she used just made it worse and she was ready to call in the professionals and spend tons of money,” said the mom. “I recommended the Spot Shot and if that didn't work, then call the professionals. She called back two hours later and was thankful that she only spent $4 instead of $100.” It also eliminated the time and hassle required to bring in carpet cleaners.

Moms love to pass down this type of insider knowledge. Stephanie, who’s sister recently had her first child, passed down product ideas that were lifesavers to her. One thing she recommended were Babyland cloth diapers, because they were cheaper than bumGenius and just as effective in her experience. In fact, Stephanie told us she always tries to keep a mom’s price point in mind when recommending products.

3.) Meet—or Beat—Mom’s Expectations

We heard this same thing over and over again from moms: They’ll recommend a product if it meets or exceeds expectations. In other words, it needs to perform well, and hopefully, make life easier, too.

One mom, Irmghard, told us she had such a great experience with Born Free bottles that she recommended them to a stranger at the Buy Buy Baby store who she overheard debating bottle brands. Another mom, Betina, told us she recently recommended the My Brest Friend nursing pillow to a new mom, because she found it superior to other pillows for infants.

Sometimes exceeding expectations boils down to solving a problem for mom. Kelly, a mother of two, recommended Aquaphor to her sister, whose baby had some irritated skin. “I suggested Aquaphor because it works as a surface protectant and would also help retain moisture,” she says. “I pointed out that it’s really not like Vaseline in that it emulsifies and isn't sticky, greasy and gross.”

So how hard is your brand working to earn recommendations from moms? Have you found other ways that help you naturally earn kudos?

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