The Importance of the Mommy Blogger

Mommy bloggers are increasingly becoming a valuable niche for marketers to target. CafeMom has received and continues to receive external funding. Yahoo! recently developed Shine, a colorful, all-in-one-stop site that combines the likes of a magazine, a website and a social network site. Popular bloggers are posting messages on Shine’s message board. And so a community of communities develops. I think of it as some sort of ‘word-of-click’ process where one thing links to the other, and the other. This online environment where a wealth of collaborators, passive and active participants and trendsetting moms coexist is fertile soil for marketers who are competing to become part of this large conversation. The conversation developing among mothers in the blogosphere is especially useful as powerful word-of-mouth campaigns originate in the online medium.

An interesting example of how these conversations are developing is Johnson&Johnson and their Camp Baby blog. The issue of the disinvitations to Camp Baby was blogged about in many sites (although I was never able to find an article in traditional media outlets) and J&J’s Communications representative, Lori XX, was criticized by many in the mommy blogging community for the company’s ill-advised decision. I include myself in that group. But weeks later I was trying to find out more about Camp Baby when I came across CampBaby2008, Johnson & Johnson’s blog about the conference, and partially changed my mind. The company created an online open forum where mommy bloggers could share their experiences about the conference but where a line was opened for further criticism. Instead of trying to go unnoticed in the blogosphere, they used this as an opportunity to further engage in the larger conversation among mom bloggers.

Another interesting example of the kind of conversations and associations developing between moms and marketers in the online sphere is Team Mom. ChildPlay Communications, the company behind Team Mom describes the model as a membership network that is open exclusively to a select group of leading mom bloggers who have been recognized for voicing their opinions thoughtfully and honestly. Members become “the first on the (virtual) block” to have access to the hottest new toys and other great children’s products. In a nutshell, here’s the model behind Team Mom: moms who join the Team Mom network periodically receive free products, which they must test out, and then write a blog post about their experience within two weeks of receiving them. They get to keep the products. It will be interesting to see how many mom bloggers actually like ‘having’ to test these products and whether they want their blogs to be in any way related to this. Nowhere does it say they have to disclose their association with the network and the fact that they are actually reviewing for pay.

Moms are important decision makers and influencers and properly targeting the mom blogging community will be key, as will be developing the appropriate opportunities for a conversation with this audience through a voice that is truly genuine.

Mommy Bloggers Visit Katie Couric

Many of the most prolific and popular mommybloggers were in New York City for the BlogHer 2008 conference. As I viewed the clip on YouTube, it was fun to see the faces of those writers whose blog postings I follow daily.

Couric went on to post about the visit on her own CBS blog, Couric&Co.

Will Yahoo! Make Me Shine?

That’s what executives at Yahoo! Think.

Competition is already fierce. Yahoo! enters territory that’s inhabited by already well-established sites, such as iVillage, and parenting networks, such as CafeMom . While portions of this pie may get smaller, there’s seems to be room for more participants. In any case, research tells Yahoo! and all of us that women are looking for a site that will combine content and communications tools.

Because we are mothers, but before that we are women, and we are often times the primary decision makers when it comes to most purchases in our homes, we continue to be a treasure trove for advertisers and marketers, and therefore we will continue to see the likes of Shine proliferate as long as there’s some room for them.

So I visited Shine last night. Not surprisingly, I found more of the same in many ways. There’s advise on personal finances, work/life balance and a Healthy Living section. You get a taste of celebrities’ life with interviews of popular moms and moms-to-be. I was happy to find one of my favorite bloggers, Nataly Kogan, from WorkIt! Mom, with her own posting. There’s plenty of conversation going on and the sense of community can be felt. On a positive note, I can read an article on Toddlers who Drive Moms Nutso Every 20 Minutes and learn about the most expensive strollers in the market these days. And if I ever get tired of reading about mommy issues (I bet I will), I can always jump to Shine’s Fashion and Beauty section and read about Kate Moss’ choice of make-up or keep up on the latest news about Brad and Angelina.

Navigating Shine today feel to me like browsing through a large version of Parents and Marie Claire magazine combined with the contributions of many online community members. The trick for this newcomer will be to get my attention and that of all women out there who already have established destinations in the online world. What will make me and other mothers visit Shine more than CaféMom, let’s say? Yahoo says its edge will be in the vast quantity of data on Web users it has accumulated for the target audience. They got my attention today. Their challenge will be to keep me coming. So far I will say “Let it Shine, Oh Let it Shine.”

Camp Baby – Respect for the Mommyblogger!

If any PR person out there still doubts the power of blogs, bloggers and mothers in the blogosphere, this should be a reminder and a wake-up call. Times are changing. This is an example of how a seemingly minor, yet ill-advised decision, can turn into a big PR-mess.

Here’s the story: Johnson & Johnson invited mom bloggers to Camp Baby, a 2-day all expenses paid event that will take place in April. The event was going to be an opportunity for mommybloggers, often stay-home or work-from-home moms and extremely well-connected, to get together with friends, make new acquaintances and network. Then, two prominent and well-known moms in the blogosphere, Julie Marsh and Stefania Pomponi Butler, registered for the event but were later “disinvited” (you can read their full accounts in Mothergoosemouse and Citymama. Although their attendance had previously been confirmed, when they mentioned they would need to bring their babies to the event, they were simply told they could not attend. In one case, as Mothergoosemouse blogger explained, “When I confirmed that yes, I would be bringing him along and keeping him in a sling with me, she advised me that, in short, I could not attend with my baby in tow. That Johnson’s Camp Baby had been planned - by mothers - to be a baby-free getaway.”

Since Mothergoosemouse and Citymama’s postings, lots of mommybloggers out there have responded. An event intended to bring together mommybloggers, influential voices within an audience every marketer is trying to tap into, and a key segment to Johnson & Johnson, may have well turned into a huge mistake. Let’s not forget the mommyblogging community is one of strong ties and Johnson & Johnson has touched one of mom’s red, hot buttons here. Citymama posted a recount of her conversation with Lori Dolginoff, Johnson’s Camp Baby Communications person. She also posted that “also had about 15 new PR people requesting to follow (me) on Twitter (since my tweets are locked) inside of 30 minutes. J&J via their PR agency had the misfortune to bungle this opportunity with someone who is passionate about educating PR people on how they "get it wrong," and how they can "get it right."

I am curious to see how this whole thing develops during the Camp Baby conference. This might be the white elefant in the room. As I was reading about the incident, I Googled ‘Camp Baby’ and all results point me to the ‘No Babies Allowed’ issue, but no articles from traditional media. We’ll have to wait and see how the mommy blogosphere reacts and what results from the event. If anything, this should be a true learning experience for Johnson & Johnson and its communications staff and an opportunity for the company to come out with a stronger presence within the mom’s community. After all, bloggers are human and it is all about forging relationships and companies have to “get it”.

A Social Network for the Working Mother

Everyday I read stories about working mothers trying to come up with ‘real’ solutions to juggling work and family. Often, entrepreneurial successes are born out of working moms brainstorming with friends for the ONE idea or business that will help them continue with their professional careers while allowing them time to spend with their children. Sometimes the solution lies in moms changing careers or starting a business to gain the flexibility they want.

Being part of social communities and networks that focus on women and careers can be helpful as we become part of the social fabric of the community we belong to and when it comes to receiving advise and tips from other working moms on this topic, there’s never enough. Workit, Mom! is one of the many web communities that stand to serve as a forum for working mothers. I interwiewed Nataly Kogan, Co-Founder and CEO of Work it, Mom!, for whom the work/life balance dilemma was familiar.

A mom of a three year-old daughter, she says she has struggled to juggle work and family since her daughter was born. Prior to launching Work It, Mom! Nataly was a Managing Director with an early-stage venture firm based in New York City. She lives in Boston with her husband and daughter.

Q: What prompted you to found WorkIt, Mom!?
A: I created Workitmom.com because I could not find an online community dedicated to working moms like myself. I hate the whole idea of mommy wars and think that each mom makes the choice that works for her, to work or to stay at home. But I do think that working moms face different issues and can gain a lot from connecting with moms like them. And that was the inspiration behind Workitmom.com.

Q: We see social networking communities, especially niche ones, multiplying. Do you think this could at some point replace the dialogue that playgrounds foster among mothers?
A: There are so many general social networks and many that are dedicated to moms. For moms, I think they provide a way to stay connected without having to make plans to see friends, hire sitters, etc. I also think that moms sometimes feel a bit more at ease about talking to their online friends than those in real life -- less competition, less pressure. Moms are extremely busy, especially working moms, and many don't have the time to make friends who are similar to them -- niche social networks allow them to do this.

Q: What, in your opinion, is the best benefit WorkIt, Mom! offers to its members as a community of working mothers?
A: The greatest benefit we can offer to working moms is being able to connect with and interact with moms in similar situations and by doing that, get helpful advice and feel less isolated and challenged by their daily juggle or work and family. It's tough to keep it all going at times and meeting other moms who are dealing with similar challenges is extremely comforting.

Q: In the future, do you see employers using communities such as yours to attract candidates?
A: We do anticipate introducing a job area on the site in the future, so that employers can post jobs and educate moms about potential careers and career paths.

Q: Are your members US-based only? Based on the exchanges in the WorkIt, Mom! community, what do you see are the most pressing issues for working mothers today in the US?
A: Most of our members are from the US, although 10-15% are from abroad. There are many pressing issues, but the one that comes up over and over again is the ongoing conflict -- both in terms of pressure for time and questioning in their mind -- about trying to balance work and family. Many feel guilty about being away from their kids, others fight the feeling that they consistently have about not being able to give 100% as moms or as professionals.

The Digital Mom Force

Sarah Ferguson has her own social network and rumor has it that Steven Spielberg may soon join the virtual bandwagon with one for users who’ve had or who are interested in sharing paranormal and extraterrestrial experiences, moms included.
Some argue the market for social networks is saturated yet we hear of a new web community targeting mothers every week and not just in the United States. Marketers obviously look into ways to market to us moms in a stealthy way, or at least without making it so obvious. Social networking fatigue may begin to set in at some point, just as it is happening with general social networks, especially if moms continue to be targeted with ads when all they want is to meet and socialize with other moms online. Between March 06 and March 07, social network visitors increased 54%, while between January 07 and January 08 the increase was merely 8%, much below what was expected. This is definitely not a good sign for social networks but it could be a promising one for targeted communities and another indication that niche is the way to go.
We tend to get the mainly the American perspective of things in the US. So while trying to find out more about mothers’ online habits in other markets, I found an interesting, if a bit dated, report by the European Interactive Advertising Association. The Report, Digital Mums Take Control on the Web, shows that digital moms regularly access social networking sites, enjoy contributing to online ratings and get involved in blogging. They survey also shows digital mothers are more frequent online shoppers than those without children.


The blogosphere is increasingly echoing messages of users rejecting advertising in social networks and marketers cannot be oblivious to that. The EIAA also includes tips for advertising to moms online.

- Avoid simplifications: today’s moms don’t conform to any specific stereotype and should not be categorized too simply.
- Think about what media digital moms use: their children’s interests and age will be reflected in their choice of media and online habits.
- Web Communities and Social Networking: take advantage of the varied online environment in which more and more mothers are engaging in conversations, developing content themselves and communicating through their own sites.
- Traditional values still matter: keep that in mind.
- Look at environments: access whether the online environment you are considering is appropriate and will really appeal to mothers.

While the report data applies to European moms, many of the recommendations could well apply to any market. It would be interesting to look into how mothers are responding to the web elsewhere.

Social Networks in Simple Terms



I love the way this short, simple clip gets the concept of social networks across, even if you don't understand the language.