• by Holly Pavlika , Columnist, February 1, 2012

Today’s social media moms, a/k/a “mommy bloggers,” are entrepreneurs, inventors, marketing managers, event planners and more, which is why I hate to call them mere bloggers. The power of their voice, social reach and influence is something brand managers have learned can make or break their brand if not handled properly. That said, for the purposes of the piece we’ll call them mommy bloggers so as not to confuse them with other social media moms who use social media for a plethora of other reasons.

So what should every Brand Manager need to know about the fair treatment and compensation of mommy bloggers who help get the word out about their brands?

Provide detail: Moms like to be educated about the products they are bringing into their homes. Provide your mommy bloggers with images, video, statistics, FAQs … as much information as possible. In addition, be entertaining and give your mommy bloggers tools they can actually use.

Work hard to gain your bloggers trust. It’s all about relationships. Social media moms are looking for relationships with brands. Not just the occasional ask. Consider creating a panel like the Wal-Mart 11 and the Disney Moms and rotate new moms in annually so more moms get a coveted shot at a seat. Invite them into your headquarters and acknowledge them as ambassadors for your brand(s).

Be honest. Transparent: Social rose to popularity because of its transparency. The principles hold true when working with mommy bloggers.

Treat your Moms as business people. Remember, Moms are adapting to the changing social media landscape and evolving technology: Moms are staying abreast of the latest in social sites like Pinterest and evolving technology like mobile and apps. Today’s social media moms are business women and work hard to keep up to the speed of the industry.

Paid posts: the most common fees paid per post is between $7 and $50, depending on the reach of the mommy blogger and the length of the post or even her expertise in a particular area. A more experienced Mom with significant traffic can command upwards of $300 a post.

Ads on her site: Many mommy bloggers have voiced a desire for brands to take ads out on their sites – something to think about when reaching out to her for a partnership of any kind.

Video: Don’t be surprised to be charged an administrative fee if a mommy blogger includes video content.

Keyword links: If you ask a mommy blogger to include keyword links, it becomes an ad, and Moms consider this something they should get paid for.

Hashtags: They will include hashtags with tweets, but most do not expect to be paid for hashtags.

Consulting: Mommy bloggers want to be paid for consulting on a brand. It’s nirvana for one of them to be chosen to be on a Brand’s Mom panel. If you ask to pick her brain, be aware that’s another word for consulting.

Giveaways: She loves giveaways, but often wants payment as well, because it takes time to administer and award the prizes. And it depends on the size of her social graph and whether the giveaway is helpful to her in building her own personal brand and following.

Product reviews: These should be unpaid in order to be truly considered objective. Mommy bloggers consider themselves under no obligation to review a product positively, negatively or at all.

Facebook likes and Twitter followings. Ask a Mom to help drive either of these efforts and, again, if you’re tapping into her social network, she’s going to want to be paid.

Twitter parties: It takes time to set up, promote, and follow up if there are prizes to award. The mom should be paid based on an estimation of the hours it will take her.

Disclosures: “Sponsored conversation” or “engaged by ___” are common descriptors to Mom efforts. Be sure to work out the language with her in advance. She is going to want her marketing efforts on behalf of a brand to be authentic and transparent.

In closing, let me share additional thoughts on the way the brand/mommy blogger relationship is heading from a very busy A-list mom with multiple channels and brand relationships.

Vera Sweeney of ladyandtheblog.com said, “Brands are leaning towards longer-term partnerships with me as of late. It's not just about the individual post anymore. Instead, the commitments span several months and include multiple platforms for distribution. Twitter parties, sponsored branded videos, and ambassadorships have become common asks.”