Women’s Word of Mouth – A Marketer’s Dream

Word of Mouth Marketing

It’s well-known that women control more than 85 percent of consumer household spending. They dominate the marketplace when it comes to referring products and services to their social networks via word of mouth. Ask any woman how she found her hairdresser, doctor, or favorite wine, and she is likely to tell you that it was from a friend. Women are natural word of mouth spreaders –– they’re wired that way. With four times as many connectors between the left and right hemispheres of the brain as men, women tap deeply into that area that is responsible for bonding and connecting with others.

However, there are subtle differences in how marketers should present information when marketing to women influencers if they want them to pass recommendations along to their friends. Marketers need to enable a woman’s ability to spread the word about their brands. They shouldn’t tell women what to offer or what to say – they need to let women create their own offers or pitch themselves. Women are very protective of their relationships, and if a brand impresses them enough to make them want to tell their friends, women will find a much better way to spread the word than a marketer ever could.

So ask them about their lives. Ask for their opinions. Touch them personally. It doesn’t have to be fancy – just something to get their attention and touch their hearts.

Image from here

Marketing to Moms Through Social Media

Using Social Media to Market to Moms

With nearly 40 million U.S. moms online, they are one of the Internet’s most desirable groups. New communities and content sites marketing to moms continue to pop up daily. Social media marketers and advertisers are constantly trying to reach this powerful group, who are not just strong in number, but in purchasing power as well. Although many attempts have been made to use Web 2.0 tools to engage mothers, only a few have been successful. The key to success lies in the approach. Here are a few tips to help you attract and engage moms online.

Do Your Research: Social Media Marketing Takes Work

In addition to being strong online shoppers, moms also spend a great deal of time researching health information, banking, watching video, and even playing games online. Moms are on Twitter, Facebook, and even social bookmarking sites like Digg and Delicious. They also are reading and writing blogs. But not all moms are created equal, and their online usage patterns vary depending on their life stage (new moms, young moms, moms of teenagers, etc.), geographical location, and interests. So it’s important to do your research because the more you understand the audience and how they are currently using the Internet, the more you can create campaigns and utilize tools that will interest and attract moms.

A Key to Successful Social Media Marketing: Make It Easy

If you’re trying to reach out to mothers, you’re not alone. A recent Google search for “moms online” yields over 25,400,000 results. So make it easy for them to find you and engage with you, by keeping your content fresh and providing user-friendly tools.

Good Housekeeping is an example of a website that skillfully balances traditional and user generated content, as well as user-friendly tools. Not only does the site offer a wide variety of articles and interactive tools, but it also provides a user-generated element with their “On Your Mind” question and answer community, where moms can interact with one another as well as with experts.

A mistake many websites make is requiring mothers to register before gaining access to content or part of a site. Moms are busy and they have a lot of options on the Internet. High drop-off rates occur when making them register, so only require registration if it’s absolutely necessary and even then limit how much you ask of them.

No One Likes a One-Way Conversation on Social Media

Many social media marketing campaigns aimed at engaging moms fail because they’re talking “at” moms – it feels too much like advertising. Create added value by providing information that is both useful and interesting. Then, provide the tools that allow moms to interact not only with your brand, but with each other. Listen to their feedback and make changes accordingly.

What tips do you have for reaching moms more effectively?

My Mission to Stay Connected

Staying Connected with My Son My son used to love nothing better than to hang with me. He was always a cuddler who loved to sit with me for hours watching “Toy Story.” But lately, mom time seems to occur when nothing better is on the horizon.

I know he still loves me, but it’s clear that I’m no longer his favorite companion. So before I blink and he’s gone off to college, I’ve decided to wage an all-out campaign to regain his affections. Here’s what I’ve found works . . . and what doesn’t.

1. Follow his lead. I am a female. I like shopping, pedicures, and massages. Not so crazy about X-Box, rollerblading, or bad fart jokes. But I’ve decided that to engage him I need to learn about the things that are important to him.

2. Don’t try to be cool. You’ve seen them – the moms and dads who dress like their kids and know all of the latest texting lingo. But that’s not me. I’m not the cool parent. I’ll admit it, accept it, and now let’s move on.

3. Quit with the questions already. This is by far my worst offense. I’m constantly lobbing questions at him that I’m sure he sees as incoming hand grenades. I can almost see him duck and cover when I get started. Though it’s against my female nature, I vow to stop interrogating him about his activities, his friends and (worst of all) his feelings.

4. Stop talking. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to just stop giving my pre-teen the third degree; I think I actually have to stop talking so much in general. Why? Because maybe if I stop talking, he will start talking. And maybe if my side of the conversation isn’t of the “I’ve told you a million times to put your clothes in the hamper” variety, he’ll actually start opening up a bit more. So I’m going to identify activities that we can participate in without conversation being the main point, like playing board games and letting him teach me the art of playing video games.

5. Redefine “connect.” As parents, we want to know every single thing our child is thinking, feeling, and experiencing. But that simply isn’t realistic once they reach the age where independence is in sight. By wishing for a Siamese-twin relationship, we actually can stunt their emotional growth –– and our own. As painful as it may be, our kids naturally separate from us as they mature. And we need to let them go. That doesn’t mean we can’t stay close; it just means that we need to look for a different kind of connection — one that depends on depth rather than breadth. We may never again know every thought that passes through their heads as they experience the minutiae of their day, but we can know more who they truly are – if we take the time to listen and appreciate the information they are sharing with us.

Mother’s Day + Social Media = Big Opportunity for Brands

Although it was celebrated during Greek times, Mother’s Day didn’t become official till 1907. Today, nearly 83 million Moms in the U.S. will find themselves celebrated with some form of Mother’s Day tribute. This year Mother’s Day will find competing brands marketing to moms with a myriad of social media campaigns, including the ones noted below:

“The Pearl of Wisdom Mother’s Day”
Aren’t all Moms full of pearls of wisdom? In support of cervical cancer prevention, Moms can be honored with a personal tribute and receive a free Pearl of Wisdom pin along with a Mother’s Day card. The card contains information about cervical cancer prevention and a link so that she and her entire family can see the tribute.

“Midlife Mother’s Day 2010 Campaign”
If you’re an older Mom, you can share your experiences of motherhood after 40. The Midlife Mother’s Day 2010 Campaign is looking for portrait stories of older mothers.

“Daughters of Beauty Campaign for Elizabeth Arden”
Elizabeth Arden is inviting moms and daughters to talk about beauty and aging, with winners receiving an Elizabeth Arden spa day. The site includes photos of Mothers and Daughters, along with their personal stories.

“America’s Favorite Mom”
Telefora is launching a Mother’s Day campaign with NBC and Hearst called “America’s Favorite Mom.” Simply upload videos, photos and essay testimonials and vote for your nominees. Fifteen finalists will be celebrated on the Today Show with the winner receiving an 18-carat gold “America’s Favorite Mom” pendant encrusted with diamonds.

“Give Mom an iPod with a Personal Message”
Although not technically a social media campaign, Apple is promoting the iPod touch as a 2010 Mother’s Day gift.

Where Did Everybody Go?

I became a parent on the later side of the child-bearing age spectrum, and was always comforted by the knowledge that I had virtually unlimited resources to help me through my introduction to parenthood. My husband had been through it before, so he was the expert burper and diaper changer. And I am a consummate researcher, so I was confident that the limitless books, magazine articles, and blogs the world had to offer would answer most any question I could possibly have. And for the most part, they did.

But now we’re coming into the teen years, and here’s where it gets dicey, because the stakes are getting much higher. And with the crush of new issues – puberty, hormones, dances, sexting, drugs, My Space, peer pressure, junior high, etc. – I feel like I need a crash course in this new phase of parenting. So recently I began my research, which soon came to a screeching halt. Where were all the tween parenting books, support groups, magazines, and blogs? The answer is: there aren’t any. I’m not seeing them anywhere. And it’s making me a bit nervous. Because in today’s world, the transition from child to tween and teen is not what it used to be – today’s kids are more knowledgeable, more sophisticated, and . . . more everything.

My husband reminds me that we have a great kid and insists that I have nothing to worry about. He’s probably right, but I have a feeling that parenting through the tween years and beyond is going to be really challenging, even under the best of circumstances. It’s going to be hard work, and I have a feeling I’m going to feel like a failure sometimes. Has anyone been there? Your thoughts?

Female Consumer Behavior and a Word About Half-Truths

What She’s Not Telling You: Notes on Female Consumer Behavior

At this year’s Marketing2Women conference, the authors of “What She’s Not Telling You” unveiled a critical behavior among female consumers: the tendency to disclose Half Truths (what they are willing to admit) and to hide Whole Truths (what they really believe, do and buy).

As the most powerful consumers on the planet, women are the voices on the customer service line, the fingertips on a website, and a brand’s most powerful alliance. Unfortunately, many times they’re only telling a portion of what they’re really feeling.

Female Consumer Behavior: Half Truths vs. Whole Truths

Example: for years women 40 years and older have voiced frustration at not being able to find age-appropriate clothes. Enter the leaders of The Gap, who created “Forth & Towne,” a chain of stores for boomer women with “age appropriate” sizing and styling. Unfortunately, Gap neglected to ask the boomer women the question that would have led to the Whole Truth: What age do you consider yourself? Had they done so, they would have found that lots of those 50-year old women saw themselves as around 35 years of age, which translates to clothes and stores that balance comfort and cool. As the book says, R.I.P. dowdy Forth & Towne.

Another Half Truth told by many women: “I try to be healthy.” The Whole Truth: “I exercise (when I feel like it), watch what I eat (sometimes), don’t smoke (too much), and wear sunscreen (when I remember).”

Half Truths are a habit — they cut the conflict and smooth the way. They are not meant to intentionally deceive, but are shortcuts that allow women to get on with their busy lives. Marketers need to recognize those Half Truths and dig to find the bigger Whole Truth, or the result will be unremarkable products, mediocre communications and mundane retail experiences.

The Purchasing Power of Women: The Marketing2Women Conference

Marketers Learn about Women’s Purchasing Power

Today marks the first day of the 2010 Marketing2Women conference in Chicago. I’m on hand to hear marketing execs from GM, Kodak, Mary Kay, MasterCard, P&G, Aetna and others talk about the purchasing power of women and the importance of building relationships with women in a way that they understand and appreciate.

Smart brands and marketers understand this is not an option, as women control or influence 85% of consumer purchasing in almost every single product category — from automobiles to electronics to pharmaceuticals and everything in between. Yet, despite their dominant role in our consumer economy, women repeatedly say that marketers don’t understand them.

Read my thoughts on a female consumer behavior panel I attended at the conference and how it illustrates just how mighty the purchasing power of women is.

Helicopter Mama

Today I was thinking about a particular rite of passage of my son’s that is causing me some concern, and suddenly I thought, “When will I stop worrying about every step of my son’s physical and emotional well-being? We know it’s appropriate and necessary to worry about the safety of a child, but what is that landmark moment that tells us it is time to start letting go? What happens if I stay too long at the party – hovering my way over my son’s life through college and beyond?

Recently Mom Central interviewed 795 Moms to assess how they view their parenting responsibility, and the impact it makes on their child’s ability to succeed. Key findings include:

Moms feel anxious and worried for their child’s well-being, health and overall success in life. While 89% of moms say failure is healthy for a child, 40% would step in to prevent their child from failing.
47% of moms indicate they spy on their children’s electronic accounts (texting, email, Facebook) to stay in the loop and make sure everything is okay.
Moms closely link their personal success or failure as a parent to their child’s future success. 33% of those moms help their college-age kids pick their classes.

A Mom’s influence in family decision-making is well documented, positioning her as the key problem-solver for her family. And while being involved in every decision her child makes may seem like a natural extension of that position, is it transforming her into that much-maligned “helicopter parent?”

What do you think: is it our obligation to stay as involved as possible in our child’s safety and well-being for as long as possible, or is it our duty to recognize when it is time to start letting go?

Mobile Shopping Apps – Wishful Thinking or Wave of the Future?

Target's Mobile Shopping App

Retailers Bank on Mobile Shopping

Last week, Target became the first national retailer to offer a scannable mobile coupon program when it launched Target Mobile, allowing anyone with a web-enabled mobile phone to receive exclusive offers and coupons directly on their mobile phones. Benefits include:

Ability to check out with a mobile phone using Target gift card information – no cash needed
Locating and updating gift registries
Coupons sent directly to your mobile phone via text message and redeemed by scanning barcode at checkout
Items can be located on specific aisles in each store, regardless of which store you’re in

Target’s move is part of a wider trend: Retailers are hoping mobile technology will encourage shoppers to go into physical stores, rather than buying so much online. Mobile coupons are just the tip of the iceberg.

We know how much women love shopping online for the convenience and time savings, so what do you think – is this Target’s wishful thinking, or the wave of the future for brands marketing to women?

What’s In My Purse? Essentials for a Social Media Enthusiast

Guest post by Rebecca Markarian of the Social Method

Recently Apple announced the iPad – a very cool tablet which has lots of great functionality. In chatting with people about the launch, I found a lot of discussion about how it was a Kindle killer or a Netbook killer and for me, that’s definitely not true. I have a handful of gadgets that go EVERYWHERE with me so that at any moment I can connect, engage and share.

So, what’s in the purse of a social media chick that always needs to be prepared? Here’s the list of gadgetry I consider essential:

Motorola Droid – phone, camera, navigation system and web good enough for basic connectivity

Dell Mini – tiny notebook able to tackle creation of spreadsheets, presentations, and more advanced computing needs…almost as good as my laptop

Amazon Kindle – for reading books and blogs when I don’t want the interruptions of the web. Much better than lugging around even one book and easier on the eyes than the computer

Canon Elph Camera – great for larger, hi-res photos and even a little video

FlipHD Video Camera – video on the go – who could ask for more?

Accessories – wall plug and car charger both with USB adapters (almost all of the devices can be plugged in with this), mini tripod for video and photo (same one fits both), 2 USB cords, 2-3 flash drives (just in case)

This little group of goodies plus some lip gloss, my wallet and a few hair ties is just about all I need to get by on a daily basis to be engaging with anyone from anywhere and on any network. While it doesn’t all fit in a clutch, a nice medium sized purse works perfect.

How about you? What’s in your social media bag of tricks?

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