I admit it; I’m crazy about Periscope. A relative newborn on the social media scene, Periscope is the iPhone app that lets you live stream video through Twitter from virtually anywhere in the world. An industry article earlier this month reports 10 million Periscope users with almost 2 million account holders opening the app on a daily basis. Hearing the buzz a few months ago, I downloaded the app to see what the hype was about with this new video tool.

At close to 50,000 Twitter followers, I decided to try Periscope to experiment with how well it worked and who would watch my videos. My content consisted of situations that moms face every day. Sitting in the DMV parking lot a few weeks ago while waiting for my teenager to finish a driver license test, I quickly opened the app and started to video the experience. My main motivation? Parents who were home running after toddlers or making lunches for their kids had nothing on the stress of a teen parent’s anxiety over a driving test.

My most recent video featured a plumbing mishap at my office. After rigging a quick fix until the plumber arrived, I thought it would make a funny video. The app certainly makes it easy to share, and my followers agree. My video views have increased consistently since I started Periscoping my summer experiences. As with anything, the more I used the app, the easier it was to use and share content.

Acquired for $100 million by Twitter earlier this year, the live-streaming video app is already popular in Europe with the U.S. quickly catching up. Currently, moms are experimenting with short five-minute chats and behind-the-scenes footage from special events, while brands are broadcasting from sponsored events.

I think the smartest users will begin to broadcast short informational segments with Periscope. For instance, I can envision TravelingMom.com broadcasting “City of the Week” each Tuesday at 5 p.m. and showcasing the flavors, sites and attractions of that city. Or a hotel brand might broadcast tips for the business traveler every Sunday at 6 p.m. Branded, scheduled content in very short form is where I see Periscope going in the near future.

While Periscope (and competitor Meerkat) show small numbers when it comes to brand awareness (both less than 10%) versus networks like Vine or Snapchat, the promise of these and other apps like it is something marketers need to watch closely.

Video, video, video. It’s a topic I’ve posted about often, perhaps at the risk of sounding like a broken record. (Would Millennial Moms even know what that cliché refers to?) However, a recent study illustrates again the overwhelming use of video among moms of all generations, with higher numbers among Millennial Moms who love the “customized” viewing options that are instantaneous, shareable, informative and portable. Moms are more videos than ever on their phones or mobile devices, tuning in to YouTube, Facebook, Amazon and Vine to name a few.

• As the YouTube user base approaches one billion and YouTube celebrities are more popular than traditional television stars, 65% of Millennial Moms say they watch a YouTube video every week and 24% watch videos daily. 55% watch videos multiple times a week.

• Moms of all generations watch videos online at least a few times a week, with almost 25% of moms watching videos daily. 64% of Millennial Moms subscribe to YouTube channels, compared to 54% of GenX mothers.

• When Millennial Moms upload their own videos to YouTube, content centers on family and special moments. Almost 35% of these younger moms upload their own video to YouTube at least once each month.

• Product reviews and How-To videos are popular among moms, an important result for brand managers. “How-To” videos ranked second behind “Entertainment” as the top YouTube search categories for moms.

• Amazon has also seen the power of video product reviews, expanding their “Video Short” content. In fact, when asked where they watch videos outside of YouTube, 86% of moms responded that they watch videos on Amazon.

• In addition to YouTube and Amazon, it probably won’t surprise you that Millennial Moms watch hours of video on Facebook. Beauty and fashion videos, funny or cute clips and music videos are the preferred content on Facebook.

Reaching moms through video is more important than ever. If your marketing strategy does not include videos, make the change now. Moms are looking for product reviews before they buy, and expect to see product videos on manufacturer websites as well as on the popular sites mentioned above. Even more valuable are product reviews by “real” moms. Don’t be afraid to ask social media moms and bloggers if they would record a short video. Many mom influencers are migrating over to video and also trying their hand at live broadcasting. You can experiment by expanding your request to bloggers to include a video that you can use on your social media outlets and vice versa.

Populate your YouTube channel (get one if you don’t have one) with product reviews, how-to videos and relevant content. To get a feel of what’s out there, search YouTube channels, Facebook pages or popular Viners to gain a sense of who’s producing what in the realm of video. Finally, there are always new trends emerging in social media, particularly video. Periscope is a newcomer in live-streaming video, and an app that I love already. Stay tuned for updates as Periscope plays a big part in my summer plans.

The World Wide Web has created myriad opportunities for business from ecommerce to global insights within a keyboard’s distance. The business of marketing to moms has been untouched by the ability to share ideas and relationships. I’m often asked about the world of moms and marketing outside U.S. borders, especially if companies are contemplating an expansion into other countries.

I thought it would helpful to brands if I assembled a list of resources and observations I have collected while working around the globe.

1) Mom bloggers in the United States pave the way for social media. Everyone is watching what our moms are doing in social media, digital sharing and content creation. Companies and social media moms both read U.S. blogs in search of insights and the silver bullet of connecting with mothers.

2) For the most part, mom bloggers outside the U.S. are two to three years behind the curve of the mom blogosphere in the U.S. Paid reviews, press trips and development of networks of bloggers have been slow in being adopted by global moms. When I visit other countries and meet bloggers, it’s almost as if I’ve taken a trip back in time. The questions they ask and the challenges they face remind me of discussions in the halls of blogger events in 2012 and 2013. The fortunate thing for me is that I have the benefit of playing Monday morning quarterback and can warn them of successes and pitfalls that lie ahead. To be fair, there are cultural differences that slow the adoption of things such as paid reviews.

3) Italy rises among the leaders in mom marketing. Fattore Mamma is a niche mom marketing agency with the largest network of mom bloggers. Founded by Paolo and Jolanda Prestinari, it serves brands such as Peg Perego and Disney. The agency holds two very large blogger events each year that attract over 300 moms and their families. This May, Fattore Mamma will hold the first conference for brands that are interested in tapping the mom market.

4) France has the Marketing to Mummy Conference. Should you find yourself in Paris in October, you might want to stop in on this one-day conference. In its second year in 2015, the event attracted about 100 companies in 2014. Although there is no singular, niche (that’s a French word, isn’t it?) marketing to moms agency in France, traditional public relations and marketing firms are beginning to turn their attention to connecting brands with moms. I predict that a niche agency will emerge soon.

5) England’s Evolution PR, founded by Michele Bates, focuses on marketing to moms primarily in the toy space. The agency conducts an annual event in London called Christmas in July that gives companies the opportunity to showcase their products to media as well as mom bloggers.

6) South Korea, South Africa and Israel seem to have the greatest interest in mom marketing. Businesses have a deep interest in capturing the spending of mothers based on marketing campaigns and organized conferences.

It’s only a matter of time before the global blogosphere catches up with U.S. moms. Look to the recent past in the U.S. mom market to predict a very similar future in global communities. If you are a company with a product that crosses borders, moms in these countries are ready for you.

Holiday season is in full swing and many marketers will once again turn to the influence of Mom Bloggers. Just as technology has changed since last holiday season, so have the most effective ways to leverage your relationships with moms. Here are a few ways to expand your tactics and maximize your marketing with these social media mavens.

1. Video is the new blog. Ask the moms you currently work with if they use video. Many do and are willing to offer video content that includes your product or brand message. Since Millennials use YouTube as a search engine, video will place your marketing efforts in an important place online. Additionally, the mom may be willing to distribute the video on places such as MomTV.com and her own YouTube channel. Don’t forget to also use it on your Facebook page or Twitter stream.  A tweet with a photo or 15-second video is twice as likely to be read as one without it.

2. School events and fall celebrations are a great way to tap into mom’s offline world. According to research by BSM Media, 85% of mom bloggers are involved in offline community groups. This means she can carry your message to moms who may not read her blog or follow her on Twitter. It’s the best of both worlds to have her talking about your product online and off. Suggest that she donate your product to a local school auction or raffle it off at a community event. The more she promotes her events, the more she talks about your product.

3. Pinterest. Some moms have more followers on Pinterest than they have blog readers. Provide moms with engaging images of your product that link to your site or retailer. Visitors to Pinterest go there seeking solutions and yours could be the perfect one!

4. Selfie your product. Yes, you read that right. Create selfies with your product.  Instagram is the perfect tool to show off your product. To really capture the influence of moms, have them take a SELFIE with your product. Their friends are more likely to comment on images with people in them and the surprise placement of your product will capture attention.

5. Everyone loves an unexpected present—even bloggers.  Sometimes the best approach is a surprise approach. Why not use the holidays as a time to thank the moms who have supported you throughout the year? Sometimes an unexpected “thank you” will garner more social media impressions than a paid blog post. However, it’s important to remember that a gift normally comes without any strings attached so drop the “if you’d like, we’d love for you to share it” line out of your thank you note. If she finds your gesture sincere, she’ll share it without any request.

These five simple ideas may seem obvious once you’ve read them; however, I am often surprised at how many marketers forget that there are many dimensions of a social media influencer. We get used to doing the same things over and over again and then are surprised that we get the same results over and over again. The new year is just around the corner. Now is a good time to start something new and maximize your relationships with moms along with holiday sales.