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The modern mom: She is educated, nurturing, career and family oriented and today, she’s a business powerhouse. She values brands like Target and Ikea, which are family-oriented and proud of it; places that fulfill all of her needs in one space. The modern mom is a powerful consumer; she knows what she wants, and she knows that there are plenty of places where she can get it.
Family dynamics have certainly changed in the past few decades; no need to watch Mad Men to confirm this. The 1950’s dad-as-dictator framework has collapsed, and today we’ve even surpassed the 90’s model of mom and dad ruling together. In 2011, households are democracies; kids, mom, and dad all have a say, but mom is more powerful than ever. Mothers today have higher salaries and many are college educated. They are more involved mothers and ultimately, more informed consumers.
“I wish every product were like the iPod,” one mom said in a recent survey. “It is the one thing in the house that means as much to me as it does to my daughter…we share music. I can’t imagine sharing music with my parents when I was a kid.”
Mommy bloggers, as they’re called, have taken over the web. These women are a powerful force in the blogosphere, often peppering their sites with coupons that fit the needs of the thousands of other moms who scour their sites daily. With topics ranging from pregnancy, parenting and motherhood to household tips, these blogs are relevant, targeted, and successful.
So successful, in fact, that a new wave of “daddy bloggers” is now attempting to catch up. It’ll be tough, however, to catch up in this race, as mom bloggers take on roles varying from that of Entrpreuner Mom to Tech Mom to Photographer Mom. Hardly anyone, especially in the online world, is just “Mom” anymore. In 2011, brands will continue to frequently court these powerful bloggers, no longer dismissing them as bored, stay-at-home moms. Aware that women make 85 percent of consumer purchasing decisions, major brands do not take lightly the fact that 23 million women read, write or comment on blogs weekly. The power of the mom blogger can no longer be disputed.
Pepsi, Wal-mart, and ConAgra are just a few of the companies that have formed relationships with them. On the negative side, just last year, mommy bloggers encouraged drama which included a Nestle boycott, dissatisfaction with Air Canada, vilification of corn syrup, and outrage at Amazon’s choice to sell a book about pedophiles, among other issues.
The Pepsi Mommy Blogger case study is an interesting one; Pepsi has been working on an image makeover and has therefore reached out to mothers, playing up the importance of their Tropicana, Quaker and Dole brands, which currently only make up 18% of total revenue. Pepsi appeared at the 2010 BlogHer conference, and is sponsoring the 2011 Social Media Week, during which it will unveil its Women’s Inspiration Network (WIN). By covering topics that would be of interest to females, and more specifically, to mothers, Pepsi is hoping to corner the Mom market and gain from their influence. These “feminine” topics include the environment, sustainability, health, and stories of inspirational women.
It’s safe to say, then, that the stereotype of the Mommy Blogger has gone out the window. In the blogosphere and elsewhere, these women have power. Mommy bloggers have realized this power, hosting meetings and conferences frequently.
Also read 2011 Predictions for Mommy Bloggers and about Some up-and-coming Mom Bloggers.
As Facebook continues to grow, businesses, both small and large, are also learning how to best use the site in terms of business growth. Despite public dissatisfaction regarding Facebook’s privacy controls and shared information, most users can ultimately find satisfaction with the site, because it is an essential addition to any web working toolbox. The Facebook social networking experience is customizable, so it can be exactly what you need it to be. For a college student, this might mean that Facebook becomes the easiest way to meet people in the dorm, but for a company like Gap or Starbucks, Facebook offers an inexpensive way to attract new customers and interact with old ones.
The first step to Facebook success, in terms of business usage, is to understand the difference between a Facebook Page and a Facebook Group.
Facebook Fan Pages, unlike groups, are visible to unregistered people and are thus indexed. Groups, however, allow the user to send out “bulk” invites, inviting all of your friends to join the group in one time-saving swoop. While many users have figured out ways to get around this feature by using a simple, google-able code to send mass invites on pages, this feature (or lack thereof) on pages often leads to complaints.
Both pages and groups lend themselves well to hosting discussions, messaging to all members, and video and photo exchange. In terms of social media, however, pages seem to be more useful. On a page, users can promote their business using social, targeted ads, and a page administrator also has access to “page insights,” which chart visitor statistics and prove useful to anyone looking to grow a larger Facebook following.
Read more on the difference between Facebook pages and groups.
Facebook users can promote a Facebook page in a variety of ways. Below, we suggest five tactics:
- Have Good Content: This should go unsaid, but it is surprising how many businesses try to promote Facebook Pages that are…lacking. No matter how many ads you buy, or how often you tweet special deals on your FB page and mention it on your LinkedIn account, if the content on your page is stale, no one will be interested. Look at it this way: You can find basic information about Starbucks on their main website, right? If you’re interested in the drinks they serve and how much they cost, or if you’re looking for a drive-thru location, look no further than the main site. The Starbucks Facebook Page, however, which is “Liked” by almost 19 million people, allows fans to virtually “check in” to Starbucks. It features photos of Starbucks fans from around the world, it allows fans of the coffee company to suggest their ideas, and it features oft-updated deals and specials. In other words, it has become a community that isn’t frequented by only die-hard fans. It’s a place that someone who may not even like coffee visits because of the fun material.
- Cross Promote: Once you have exciting material on your Page, don’t be afraid to cross promote. Whether you want to link to your Twitter account or your LinkedIn page, or you want to link to your YouTube account, take advantage of the multiple social networks you have access to. Some businesses will Tweet about special deals they have available only on their Facebook Page, leading Twitter followers to check out the page. In order to have access to the special deal, these users must then “Like” the page and viola, another follower is gained. Post YouTube videos on your Facebook as well, and you’ll be surprised at the new followers you’ll gain.
- Update Frequently: Say you start out with great content and cross promote, and you end up being “liked” by 20,000 people. That’s a great start, and although there isn’t a maximum number of pages a person can “like,” most businesses are surprised to find that Facebook users are fickle. They “unlike” pages (oh yes, they can do that) just as quickly as they like them, and while it is more difficult to gain followers than to lose them, disengaged users are the kiss of death. By updating frequently, you give people a reason not just to visit your site, but to look forward to new content, new images, maybe even new deals.
- Incentivize Your Page: You’ll be facing competition from mega-companies like Fusion Beauty, who can afford to offer the first 10,000 “likes” on their page a free tube of lip gloss. Not every incentive has to be a free product, however. Whether you’re offering ten percent off of a cup of coffee or access to a behind-the-scenes video, your followers want to feel like they are getting something exclusive.
- Personalize It: Facebook Fan Pages in the beauty sector, such as the page for MAC Cosmetics , often feature a section dedicated solely to user photo uploads. Now, this personalizes the MAC page in many ways; most effectively, it allows users to feel personally connected to the giant cosmetic company through the simple act of uploading their own photo. The page for Eat Pray Love doesn’t feature that perk, but it asks users, “What is one thing in life your friends said you could/would never do, but you did it anyway?” It starts conversations, and that is what makes it special to the people who “like” it.
Also check out 12 Ways to Use Facebook Professionally and 7 Reasons Why You NEED A Facebook Fan Page.
And once you’re really comfortable using the Facebook Fan Page, post on other user’s walls AS the page, not as yourself.
This new era of marketing renders Mad Men-style agencies obsolete and pushes social media to the forefront. As social media continues to evolve, however, most strategists wonder one thing: How is social media ROI measured? According to Social Media Examiner, this is the number one question asked by experts in the field.
Over the years, those involved in social media have continued to attempt to redefine ROI, wondering if it was even necessary in this field. The lack of tools for analyzing made quantifying results near impossible, and this lack of standards for ROI also made it difficult to “sell” social media campaigns and tactics to executives and companies.
This year, however, social media has grown immensely in terms of ROI. While case studies are nothing new, they prove invaluable for social media ROI, extending to B2C and B2B, small and large businesses, for-profit and non-companies. Case studies can prove ROI as determined by sales, shorter sales cycles, new leads, improved company operations, and better business innovations.
Take the example of Burberry, a high-end fashion chain that initially seems impervious to social media’s “of the people” approach to building fan bases and ultimately, business. The company’s “Art of the Trench” campaign, however, capitalized on the recent trend in blogs that feature street-style photography.
While many designers and retailers had already taken their businesses to Twitter, Burberry was the first major fashion company to create a social media empire of its own. Burberry’s facebook page received 7.5 million views and with over 1 million fans, the company’s same store sales increased by ten percent after the campaign.
For a company that has been selling the same thing and marketing the same “look” for years, this was surely a coup. They had no new product to sell and were advertising the same trench coat that made them famous decades ago. Through the use of a social networking fashion blog via facebook, Burberry drew in a new demographic and a new generations of shoppers, simply by making use of what made facebook cool: They allowed their fans to “like” items, leave comments, and “share” photos, ultimately making their consumers feel powerful and drawing them in.
ROI in this case is undeniable, as shown by the company’s growth over the last year.
As many know, in the last few years the number of mom’s blogging has exploded. Their popularity has surged as countless women go online daily for information, support, giveaways and entertainment.
Mommy Bloggers Are Hot
Mommy bloggers have become so influential that when McDonald’s named Rick Wion their first director-social media, the press release announced how the company had specifically mandated he beef up social media outreach to target groups such as mommy bloggers. While the press release made this sound like big news, McDonald’s has actually been using social media and working with Mommy bloggers for several years through its “Moms Quality Correspondents.” In another well known instance from a couple of years back, Mommy bloggers rallied in criticism of a Motrin campaign such that the ads were pulled. That was roughly two years ago. More recently, Pampers experienced a similar well-documented backlash. Basically, mommy bloggers are firmly established as hugely trusted influencers over a promotional campaign. We have some interesting links documenting this at the end of the Motrin case blog entry; networking, documenting home life, rallying behind a cause or a product and so many other things aren’t terribly new. It all has simply taken on new shape with the advent of the internet, the web and what we now term as social media (Blogs etc.). This ever-changing wave must be ridden.
Some Facts To Consider
By most accounts, Mom’s influence over 85% of all consumer purchases in the USA, and wield $5 trillion in purchasing power. In most cases moms do the majority of grocery shopping, Christmas shopping and vacation planning. And when they are looking to buy, they research online, ask trusted friends for advice and turn to their favorite mommy blog to see what other woman have to say. Because mommy bloggers typically only review products they need and almost never promote a product they would not want to use or have not tried, who wouldn’t trust them? These women tell it like it is and are known for their candid discussion of all issues. An influential mom can pump up a brand or break it down with one post. It sounds like a stereotype, but moms really are fiercely loyal and protective of their kind. When a mom finds a blogger she likes, she will quickly become a loyal follower, book marking and sharing the information with her friends much quicker than if it were a tech or news site. Not surprisingly, with more and more companies increasingly turning to these influential moms for promotional purposes and product endorsement, the Federal Trade Commission in December issued guidelines that recommend bloggers who write about a product to make clear to readers whether they have received money or other benefits.
Blogs Are Like A 24-7 Mom group
As these woman throng to the blogosphere to talk to someone who gets them and participate in discussions on everything from school, education, gardening, food, technology, baby products, kitchen gadgets, home-safety, automobiles, politics, environment, fashion, marriage, sex and anything else a mom wants to talk about, they also become the creators of content. The moms with a niche or interesting angle tend to grow their community and following with the most success. This, in turn, results in their increased sphere of influence. Beth Blecherman, one of our esteemed blogger allies cautions anyone who wishes to really make a niche for themselves (as a blogger) via online social media channels (i.e. blog, Twitter, video, Facebook etc): “Don’t try and do everything at once. In other words, focus on a certain subject or theme etc. Also, don’t hesitate to learn strategies from existing personal online brands that are successful. Look at their approach to their community building and how they integrate other social media tools.” She has a good point because if there is anything that distinguishes Mommy Bloggers from one another it’s those with a clear focus and ambition and those who are blogging for perhaps humbler reasons. By no means are we casting judgment. There is well-documented concern within the Mommy Blogger space that all of this online activity does detract from motherhood itself. To each their own.
Beth is the co-founder of http://www.siliconvalleymomsgroup.com and founder of http://www.techmamas.com
Where Does One Talk to “Mom”?
One of Media Needle’s most esteemed allies from this space Ciaran Blumenfeld (founder of http:// www.Momfluential.net) cautions “Blogs and sites will continue to grow and change and mutate. There is no such thing as a generic “blog” any more any way. There are photo sites, video sites, ranking sites, contest sites, review sites, editorial sites… Multimedia use will increase and social networking will just continue to swap spit with what’s out there now”. We agree. In other words, you might identify a strong set of Mommy bloggers by twitter re-tweets or a series of YouTube product testing videos. We’d be fools to not mention the ongoing snowball of facebook. In other words, we can still call it a “web” can’t we? A suite of tools are at everyone’s disposal of which the Blog is just one element. Keep your eyes open. Ciaran adds “I like Whrrl.com. There are so many apps and tools for information finding, gathering, sharing. It can be hard to keep up but I love the hunt for a new tool “find”/ I find new ones every day. Not all of them stick but the finding is fun!”
In Closing
We’d like to think that keeping it fun is helpful. Marketers can be dry. Brand advocates can be cut-and-paste. One thing we need to add is that this realm is made of real people with real life experience. If you wish to direct efforts towards the Mommy Blogger realm, cap it off with respect. Kimberly Kauer of Silicon Valley Moms comments in one of her 2009 entries “… we believe this debate points to a growing sentiment among female bloggers that we want sponsors to engage our minds, not our purses.” See: http://www.svmoms.com/2009/08/draft-a-blogher-lesson-in-womens-power-and-perception.html for better context. Moms with profit motives notwithstanding 
This blog entry was edited by an “Honorary Uncle Blogger” with frequent interruptions by a 2 year old and a 1 year old.
Interesting links:
Jeremiah Owyang’s brilliant analysis of the Motrin “event” and how it was monitored: http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/11/17/motrin-mothers-groundswell-by-the-numbers/
A stellar YouTube documentation of Mommy Tweets in response to the Motrin campaign: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhR-y1N6R8Q
A nice summary of the Pampers case study: http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Pampers+feels+wrath+mommy+bloggers/2701485/story.html
Elizabeth Zamos and Bernard Yin