social media moms

Marketing to Moms – You’ve Got This!

Marketing to Moms: There Is No Perfect Mother

While there is great joy, it’s really hard being a mom. More often than not, moms feel at the end of the day they could have done it just a little bit better.

A mom’s daily experience almost always clashes with the cultural ideal of motherhood. The reality is — there is no perfect mom. So why do marketers insist on perpetuating the stereotype? Motherhood is like riding an emotional roller coaster. And emotions drive behaviors. Marketers need to understand those behaviors and help moms achieve her version of success, streamline her life and find a path toward healthy living for herself and her family.

Find out what happens when thirty moms who’ve never met have an honest conversation and inspire other women in this video created by Jessica Alba’s Honest Co.

The 10 Commandments for Marketing to Moms

Holly Pavilka recently reminded us that the power of today’s social media connected moms is never going to go away. In fact, it will continue to grow. Yet despite the spending power of this important demographic, most brands are still not getting it right when it comes to connecting with her. Girlpower Marketing tips its hat to Holly’s 10 Commandments for Marketing to Moms:

The 10 Commandments of Marketing to Moms

1. Work with moms to get it right. You’re never going to get it right unless you talk to and ideate with moms. You need to solicit their ideas. The beauty of social media is that it’s easy to find them and to connect with them. Research and studies will give you clues, but not the rich real conversation moms will bring.

2. Keep it real. Real is real, inspirational stories. Relatable content. Relevant content. Useful content. Not manufactured, retouched or artificial.

3. Answer her when she’s reaching out. Engage with moms. A study by Acuity Group showed 73% of customer tweets go unanswered. What a missed opportunity. RedBull, a brand more associated with Millennials and daredevils, is terrific at listening and responding. My daughter was mugged for her latte and it blew up Twitter for a few minutes with 100+ tweets but not a word from Starbucks. Two other brands, on the other hand, responded with $5 gift cards because they wanted my daughter to know there were still good people in the world. If you take a look at the brands moms love, they typically are ones who are listening and responding.

4. Follow the moms that follow you back. When it comes to connecting to moms, brands need to follow the moms back. Stop thinking you are a celebrity and get real with your advocates. It’s the first step in the relationship, particularly if you want to grow an audience of moms.

5. Always layer in authentic conversation around your traditional campaigns. The days where brands can just rely on traditional advertising messages are gone. Today, a blog post or tweet a mom writes mentioning your brand is an ad. Organic, authentic real stories and conversation need to be layered in along with your traditional media. These are the messages she trusts.

6. Never market to them as a niche. There’s no one-size-fits-all mom. There are Millennial moms, Boomer moms, second-life moms, Latina moms … moms of every imaginable kind. Don’t stereotype and lump us into a singular “mom” bucket or you’ll miss the mark every time.

7. Remember she’s intelligent. Many stay-at-home moms are educated and have chosen family over career in many cases. With the economy being what it is, many moms are the primary breadwinners in their families. We like to talk about more than diapers, potty training or children. We have interests beyond gardening, cooking and reading books. Look at the types of blogs that are out there–everything from politics, business, women’s health issues and more.

8. Keep it beautifully simple. Moms are busy, and crave simplicity. Make it complicated, and you’ll lose them every time. One of the reasons Pinterest is popular with women is that, along with its simple design and curation of relevant content, it’s also pleasing to the eye.

9. Balance emotional messaging with pragmatic information. She still wants to be inspired, but she’s also pragmatic. She does her homework before making a purchase. It’s part of the job of being a mom – making informed choices.

10. Remember it’s about story-selling. Place the information within reach, and let her make a decision. Marketing to moms is about telling stories, not selling. Tell how it fits in her life, layer in people’s stories, give the back story on the product – she likes details, showcase testimonials and reviews. Sprinkle in lifestyle photos of the product in use, not just beautifully lit photos of the product. All of these tell her the story she wants to hear.

How Brands Can Celebrate Moms on Mother’s Day and Throughout the Year

Mother’s Day. The day I look forward to each year. The day when my son and I spend the entire day together – just the two of us. Whether it’s going to a movie, out for sushi, or on a road trip, that day is what memories are made of.

Though most moms say time spent with their loved ones and homemade cards are what they really cherish, the National Retail Federation says Mother’s Day spending will jump 11 percent this year to $20.7 billion, with consumers spending an average $168.94 on mom.

“It’s clear that Americans want to honor the women with the hardest job in the world this Mother’s Day,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shey. And for good reason. Moms are typically the household chef, chauffeur, organizer and primary purchase decision-maker for their families. But they’re not just buying for themselves; they’re also buying for kids, husbands, friends, sports teams and often their own parents.

Marketers are always looking for ways to reach moms, but it can be a struggle if they don’t understand how best to connect with them.

Tips to Attract and Engage Moms

Participate directly with moms. Brands trying to win over moms must participate directly with them, and develop a credible voice: one that is engaging, personal, authentic and participatory.
Research where she is online. Yes, moms like to shop and read blogs, but they also research health information, conduct online banking, watch videos and play games. Because patterns vary by life stage and interests, marketers need to understand their audience and how they are using the Internet.
Help her connect with your other customers. Moms gravitate toward brands that help them converse and connect with other moms. Brands can accomplish this through their websites, blogs and other social media sites where moms are connecting.
Don’t talk AT moms. Many brands create social media campaigns aimed at engaging moms, but fail because they end up talking “at” moms with self-serving advertising speak. Create added value for moms by providing them with information that is useful and interesting. Then provide tools that allow moms to interact not only with the brand, but each other. Listen to their feedback and make changes accordingly.
Respect her. Moms want brands to listen to them and respond to what they’re saying by showing respect and understanding their needs.
Don’t stereotype. Soccer moms. Helicopter moms. Boomer moms. Gen Y moms. Stay-at-home moms. A mom wouldn’t describe herself as such, so why do marketers? Appreciate the diversity of moms and connect accordingly.
Make her laugh. Moms love to laugh. Women’s humor grows out of identifying with another person in a funny situation, and recognizing their similarities. Help them find those similarities in humorous situations.
Concentrate on customer service. Word-of-mouth is the biggest factor in purchasing decisions for online moms. They look for recommendations from people they trust, and stay away from businesses if other moms relay bad experiences. Brands should make sure that word-of-mouth doesn’t work against them by making a commitment to impeccable customer service. Always go a bit further than needed, and include some form of “thank you.”
Remember that moms are not JUST moms. Moms are not one-dimensional — they have other interests, and don’t want to read just about mom-related topics. Moms also travel, race dirt bikes and collect fine wine as well.

Truths About Marketing to Moms

Marketing to Moms: A List of Truths

Recently Holly Pavlika shared her predictions for how marketers will attempt to engage moms. We’ve noted a few of them below:

Television, social media, and motherhood will recognize that they need each other. It’s already happening with blogger integration. Television is the second screen to her, and it will be interesting to see how apps like Zeebox, which integrates television shows and social media, will fare.
Technology and smartphones will become more and more a part of her life. Brands need to get ahead of the curve with mobile.
Brands will continue to try to reach moms through “pinked” and specially designed products. And they will fail miserably. Painting a product pink and adding glitter to something hardly raises its ability to effectively meet the buyer’s needs. To win her over, focus on features, benefits, providing value, and superlative customer service.
More and more advertising will feature moms. Until we want to scream. Advertising and marketing to moms is so blatant right now, it’s almost laughable. Brands will continue to think putting a mom in the picture will attract moms to listen their pitch. The emphasis should not be on “hey, mom,” messaging, but rather on recognizing whether or not moms really need the product in their lives.
We’ll see more growth in the Latina mom market. Brands need to get ready for her – she’s highly social, has huge spending power, and isn’t afraid to use her voice.

The Networked Mom will continue to adapt and use technology and social media to share ideas and connect with others. She loves the ability to share her passions and use her voice, and she will continue to be a primary focus of the media and marketers in 2013.

Photo courtesy of Episencial

Marketing to Moms: Shout Out to Hallmark

Hallmark Markets to Moms

The other day I was in a Hallmark store buying Halloween cards, and it struck me that this brand is a great example of one that really understands and supports a mom’s need for community.

Moms, or all women for that matter, are part of multiple communities, from family and the workplace, to children’s and social groups, to online groups. In order to develop a meaningful relationship with these women, it’s important that brands show support for these communities. One way to do that is to identify a touch point that has emotional relevance to Mom (and her peers) and present it in a way that also provides a sense of validation on her part.

A recent study indicates that 90 percent of women agree that greeting cards can lift their spirits and lighten a heavy burden.

Hallmark acknowledges that not all moms are living the perfect lives so often depicted in the media, and has made it easier to find cards that offer words of encouragement or support with its Encouragement Cards line. This line of cards, addressing a variety of life situations including job loss, cancer treatment, stress, self-improvement, divorce, and caregiving, helps moms support other moms in their communities through challenging life events.

In addition, Hallmark introduced the Kids Encouragement line, providing moms with another platform for showing love, support and pride in their children.

Hallmark’s ongoing innovation shows a keen understanding of how to create an emotional bond with its primary customers, and how even the simple effort of sending a card can create a lasting impression and emotional bond between sender and receiver.

So, since I “care enough to send the very best,” I’m giving a shout out to Hallmark.

Social Media Marketing: The Power of Pinterest

Brands Add Pinterest to Their Social Media Marketing Portfolios

Pinterest now has more than 11 million unique monthly users. Eighty percent of those users are female, and they are spending more time there than on Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ combined.

South by Southwest Interactive officially drew to a close last week with the 15th Annual Interactive Awards, where Pinterest received the “Breakout Digital Trend” award.

The infographic below shows just how powerful social media marketing with Pinterest is, and how five brands are using it.

What opportunities does Pinterest afford your brand?

Pinterest: Are Women Driving Its Explosive Growth?

We know that women are the gateway to sales, making 85 percent of all purchasing decisions in the American household. Well over half of all female shoppers are using online social networks to find the newest and best products for themselves and their families.

The latest online social network is Pinterest. Launched in 2010, the site is a runaway hit, growing from 1.6 million visitors in September 2011 to 11.1 million visitors as of February 2012.

I’ve been an active member of Pinterest for a while now. The greatest thing about Pinterest is that I can selectively choose what I want to follow. I use Pinterest much like I would use any notebook where I would keep clippings of things that inspire me, recipes, books I want to read, or anything else I can think of.

Currently women make up about 82 percent of Pinterest active users, according to Google Ad Planner. Whether that’s because women are already using social networks 30 percent more than men, or simply because they’re earlier to the party remains to be seen. Pinterest may be attracting women because of its storytelling aspect that women relate to – women are attracted to the feel of a brand and to the “why” behind every company. Whatever the answer, the real question remains: How will businesses start using Pinterest as a marketing tool to speak to their customers?

One of the most straightforward ways for brands to use the platform is to exhibit items or services that traditional appeal to women. Companies like Lilly Pulitzer and Chobani Yogurt are showing ways to use their products. Nordstrom, Lands’ End and Better Homes & Garden magazine have added buttons on their websites to let visitors easily pin photos on Pinterest. Virgin America airlines, Gilt Group and Barneys New York have started their own Pinterest pages.

Whether women continue to dominate Pinterest remains to be seen, but as marketers review site user demographics they will continue to tailor their messages to the primary Pinterest users. As a result, Pinterest may become a haven for women on the Internet, with products, content and images tailored specifically for them. Because, as with all marketing to women, building relationships is the key to long-term brand commitment and loyalty.

FOMO: Just Say No

FOMO: A Downfall of Social Media

Interesting article in the business section of this weekend’s New York Times about Facebook and FOMO.

Before I explain, let me say this: social media is a great thing for many audiences, including moms and marketers. A lifeline of sorts for both. Instant, easy, effective communication. But as the social media landscape moves forward fast and furiously, we’re beginning to see tiny potholes in the road to communication bliss. One such pothole is FOMO, or fear of missing out, “a blend of anxiety, inadequacy and irritation that can flare up while skimming social media like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and Instagram,” according to the New York Times. In a nutshell, it’s feeling good about your life, until you find out what your friends (or frenemies) are doing — which can then send you into a downward spiral.

Like anything in life, it’s smart to proceed with a good awareness of what you’re wading into. Facebook and Twitter are no different. Check out the article, we’d love to know what you think.

How Brands Can Reach Social Media Moms in 2011

Reaching the Social Media Mom

As we ring in 2011, many marketers are looking for expanded ways to increase their visibility and relationships with online moms. Holly Pavlika shares some suggestions on how to connect with these Social Media Moms.

1. Prepare for a more sophisticated Social Media Mom.
She’s going to be concentrating on her own marketing efforts and building her personal brand. She’s looking to be fairly compensated, and she wants a long-term relationship – not a one-off program.

2. Watch Social Media Moms start leveraging their expertise.
Many Moms have taken expertise from prior/current careers and are looking to leverage it. Not only is she a Mom, but perhaps a doctor or chef. Combining her Mom expertise with a specialty gives her more currency to negotiate bigger relationships with a brand.

3. More focus on the Latina Mom.
Latinas are a very important market that is just starting to be tapped into. Disney has already made their move and invited eight Moms to their fall social event. Latinas are digital and very family-focused.

4. Rethink your budgets and where they are spent.
Are your current efforts netting the end result you desire? A recent Café Mom study showed Moms spending a lot of time on multiple communities. Brands need to make sure they’re covering her bases.

5. Evolve your mobile strategies and tactics.
Moms are mobile and increasing their use of mobile every day. She rarely leaves the home without it. And she uses her phone for more than communication. Eight million U.S. Moms and 20 million moms worldwide want phones that can deliver information to her fingertips.

6. Create a strategy for branded apps.
Do you have an app strategy? Moms love apps. Create an app that adds value to her life. A tool that simplifies, enhances and saves her time will ensure your brand is a part of her daily life.

7. Develop a content strategy.
Moms love entertaining, informative content. If you want to take advantage of her incredible sharing and relationships, you need content. Moms love video, games, polls, blogs, forums and content to engage with. Do you have a cross platform content strategy?

8. Develop new content platforms.
Studies show Mom watches TV — but usually with her children while on her computer multi-tasking. So chances are she’s not really paying attention to regular programming. So if she is watching, it needs to be particularly relevant, helpful and engaging. Maybe that’s why so many Mom-directed TV sites are popping up and why video content is so popular with Moms. Take a closer look and you’ll see many of the Social Media Moms adding .tv to the end of their personal URLs. Maybe it’s time to consider a webisode series.

9. Reinvent customer service.
Good customer service is important to Mom. When it comes to talking to brands, Moms often use Twitter for solving conflict. Is Twitter the new customer service? It might be time to rethink the role of Twitter. It’s not a message board for a brand. It’s not a news service. It’s a two-way dialogue with your customer.

10. Integrate social into your web properties.
More and more brands are incorporating social sharing features across the content on their webiste, as well as adding Twitter and Facebook links. Moms like to share if the content is relevant, entertaining and worthy.

11. Think about causes and being eco-friendly.
Moms care about the world they are bringing baby up in — what their child is eating and interacting with, and what their future will be like. A new baby often triggers a focus on eco-friendly products as a way of setting examples for their children. Moms are extremely aware of our environmental issues — and if it isn’t the environment, she is involved in causes. She likes things that support her community, so but make it easy for her to be involved.

12. Develop programs with her for next year.
Moms will smell insincerity. The best way to understand what she needs and is looking for is to partner with Mom. So if you don’t currently have a Mom panel on your team, it’s time. So many brands are missing the mark with their marketing efforts geared towards her. Trust her. She’ll make a great Assistant Brand Manager.

Happy New Year everyone! And remember that Moms will continue to rule the social web in 2011.

1 In 4 Moms Say Purchase Decisions Are Influenced by Social Media Recommendations

Those of us who work regularly in this space know that bloggers — particularly mommy bloggers — are a powerful and influential force, but now comes the data to prove it.

According to a new study by The NPD Group and Child’s Play Communications, 79% of all moms in the U.S. with children under the age of 18 are active in social media. Of these moms, about one in four (23%) said they have purchased a children’s product as a result of a recommendation from a social networking site or blog.

The study: “Social Media Moms: How Networking Impacts Purchasing Behaviors” probes into the behaviors and opinions of active social media moms, defined as moms who currently belong to a social networking site and/or write, read or comment on blogs. Based on responses from a sample of more than 2,000 of these moms, it is evident that online recommendations have even more impact among the most frequent social media users: 43% of these moms who use these sites on a daily basis have purchased a children’s product as the result of a recommendation from these sites.

Active social media moms who purchased a children’s product based on an online recommendation said that, on average, they did so five times in the past year. More than half (55%) of these moms said they made their purchase because of a recommendation from a personal review blog and 40% from a Facebook recommendation.

“Social media has become an enormous influence on purchasing, and savvy marketers have certainly begun to embrace this vehicle when messaging to moms,” said Anita Frazier, Industry Analyst for The NPD Group. “But many marketers have yet to fully realize the potential of social media and the power of peer group recommendations, which means more opportunities are on the horizon.”

Clearly, moms nationwide are making purchasing decisions as a result of the information and advice other moms are providing through social media. It’s important that brand managers continue looking to this group of influencers and work to develop ongoing relationships with them as they develop their marketing strategies.

Has your brand identified its strategy for reaching moms?

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