First of all, don’t call them “mommy bloggers”—many find that term belittling. Brands are learning the hard way how to engage with bloggers, and it’s safe to say no category has attracted more attention than this influential and highly engaged group of moms.
How do you ensure that moms listen to your message instead of immediately forwarding it to the Bad Pitch Blog? Here are some of the most important lessons Barkley has learned when conducting blogger outreach for clients including Blue Bunny, the Breast Cancer 3-Day, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Lee Jeans, Minute Rice and Sonic Drive-In.
Hi, Jen! How are Jack and Aiden?
No e-mail should ever start with the phrase “Dear Blogger.” Get to know each woman: her interests, the names and ages of her children, and what’s going on in her life right now. Understand what topics she covers; it’s a waste of her time and your credibility if you send food materials to a blogger who mostly covers mom-centric technology.
This personal approach will serve your brand well in this highly personal, transparent space:
- Simple starting points for your good pitch.
- Social Media and Nonprofits Example #1 – The Breast Cancer 3-Day
- I’m Giving Away a Gift Card Because THIS PR Person Gets It
Best Practices
Start a brand blog or encourage individuals in your organization to blog. This practice-what-you-preach mentality can help you formulate an outreach that is respectful of moms’ time and expertise and offer maximum flexibility in the way they choose to post about your brand.
Be very mindful of the recent changes in FTC guidelines relating to bloggers. In the spirit of the voluntary Blog With Integrity pledge, encourage bloggers to fully disclose that the products they are reviewing and/or giving away were provided to them at no charge by your brand.
Attend conferences such as BlogHer, BlogWorld Expo, Type A Mom, Blogalicious and Blissdom. In a category where every facet of communication is conducted online, it’s these face-to-face meetings that can make all the difference in building a strong relationship.
Recognizing Diversity
If there’s one thing you can say about blogging moms, it’s that they’re all completely different! It takes only five minutes at a blogging conference to recognize that moms are as diverse as, well, the rest of the population and include a myriad of different ethnic groups and lifestyles.
Also consider whether dad bloggers or bloggers without children may represent just as strong a market for your company.
Results and Measurement
In a recent article about the “What Women Want Consumer Survey” by Prospectiv, eMarketer stated, “There is a lot of buzz around mommy bloggers, but Prospectiv data suggests marketers may be overestimating their usefulness.” We beg to differ.
Barkley carefully monitors and tracks the results of our blogger outreach campaigns and continues to see steady, across-the-board growth in engagement metrics including:
- Percentage of bloggers contacted who agree to participate in a program
- Number of blog and Twitter posts about the brand both from outreach program participants and outside sources
- Blog readership stats and Twitter follower numbers
- Number and sentiment of reader comments
- Referrals to sponsoring brand’s web site
- Number of comments and other interactions on social media profiles (Twitter, Facebook, etc.)
Our experience more closely reflects what Jessica Hogue, research director at Nielsen Online, had to say in conjunction with the Nielsen Online Power Mom 50 List: “Mom bloggers review everything from beauty products to cars to inkjets, enabling marketers unparalleled reach to their target consumers. In an increasingly connected world, moms seek the wisdom of their online counterparts as trusted advisors.”
