Commentary
Social Media Moms: A Worthwhile Investment
- by Kim Moldofsky , September 30, 2009
Forward-thinking companies now engage bloggers on a deep level. That is, they go beyond offering product samples, paying for reviews, or advertising on blogs. Leading-edge firms partner professionally with these moms in ways that better utilize her talents and knowledge. Forward-thinking mombloggers are looking for these types of partnerships, recognizing that they can't pay a mortgage, or even blog hosting fees, with free cereal samples.
By hiring bloggers, brands send a strong message of support and recognition of the value a community insider adds to campaigns or larger social media efforts.
When ConAgra Foods hosted a free back-to-school webinar featuring their brands, it engaged several reputable social media moms as hostesses. There was a clear value in having these moms tap into their networks to support the event. "We paid them for their time spent promoting the webinar such as posting on their site, running a giveaway and spreading the word," said Sue Burke, Manager of PR/Social Media.
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Meagan Francis, the voice behind The Happiest Mom, has partnered with different companies on several initiatives. Recently, she was a featured, paid parent expert as part of a Good Nites campaign. Her job responsibilities included writing articles, posts and answering parent questions for the site. What she appreciated about the effort, in addition to a paycheck, was the brand's support of the effort through advertising on and offline, rather than merely expecting the bloggers to send traffic to the site.
She recommends this type of brand-supported approach, which has the advantage of focusing PR efforts on finding the right voice rather than pulling in a blogging because of stats. "Just because a blog is well-read doesn't automatically mean the blogger has credibility--especially if people are only visiting in order to enter giveaways or jump into controversy," Meagan says. She advises looking at the quality of content, reader response, overall social media efforts and past project involvement as reliable indicators that help provide a feel for a particular blogger.
But blogger engagement can go beyond providing content. Audrey McClelland from MomGenerations thinks that when bloggers are paid to work with brands on broader, long-term projects it takes the relationship to a deeper level than is possible with a one-off post or review. On larger projects, "You really feel like you are working with the team as a professional," explains Audrey.
She will soon be taking on a paid spokesperson role based on her background in fashion and beauty. She understands the importance of finding bloggers who fit the needs of a brand and its voice or key messages. "To create an authentic voice, to harness it and get it out there, it's important to work with bloggers who share your passion and drive for success," says Audrey.
Blogging can be helpful behind the scenes, too. Just as real-life focus groups provide financial incentives for participation, so can online focus groups. But moms who are active in your target social spaces can be more than mere participants; they can be your partners. These moms can help refine product launches and new media campaigns or plan a top-notch blogger retreat that incorporates current best practices.
Many moms who entered the social space for personal reasons now stay for professional ones. As they take their social media careers to the next level they have the skills to help you do the same with your branded online efforts.
Nice article, Kim. The more I think about it, the more I think that strong, transparent and *compensated* relationships between mom bloggers and companies are a much more effective, ethical and mutually beneficial arrangement than simply giving out free samples, hosting giveaways or even murkier practices like paid reviews. Most bloggers lack either the funding/support, time, or training to be true journalists, because we have to run all aspects of our blogs ourselves. On the other hand, nobody wants to feel like they're only getting their numbers because they're giving stuff away all the time, or feel like they're interesting to PR companies only because of the traffic they can re-direct. And like you point out, free product doesn't pay the bills (plus taking free stuff can have the added ill effect of calling a blogger's integrity into question).
When a PR company engages fewer bloggers but in a deeper, more meaningful, and fairly compensated way it works in several ways: first, the blogger can afford to put a lot of energy into the campaign, and second, the company can be more selective about who they choose to work with them (stressing quality of content/credibility over just getting as many bloggers on board as possible). And the campaign is also more ethical and transparent because all parties involved--blogger, PR company and reader--understand the relationship and each person's role in it.
Edelman ran the GoodNites campaign, and I have nothing but good things to say about the amount of support they put behind it. That is so much more effective than just slapping up a blog and expecting the contributors to make it happen. I've also worked with Megan Calhoun of TwitterMoms, and it was a great experience, allowing me to do what I do best--write!--without feeling like I was selling out.
As always, Kim, you're insight on marketing to moms via social media is right on. The way PR companies are engaging digital moms is changing: You can't just sponsor a giveaway and expect a blogger to work with you on a brand. As someone whose attended several blogger events by major corporations, I've provided company representatives with insights into what moms like and don't like. However, I even see that role evolving into those that Meagan and Audrey advocate: Deeper, more substantial -- and compensated -- relationships with a few key moms. Because you're correct, we cannot pay our mortgage with free cereal samples.
As always, Kim, you're insight on marketing to moms via social media is right on. The way PR companies are engaging digital moms is changing: You can't just sponsor a giveaway and expect a blogger to work with you on a brand. As someone whose attended several blogger events by major corporations, I've provided company representatives with insights into what moms like and don't like. However, I even see that role evolving into those that Meagan and Audrey advocate: Deeper, more substantial -- and compensated -- relationships with a few key moms. Because you're correct, we cannot pay our mortgage with free cereal samples.
Fabulous article, Kim! This is yet another great resource from one of my online friends to share with potential clients. The more information I have to validate my case for the use of social media, the better! Thanks so much.
I find this article interesting. I have done outreach to Mommy Bloggers in a more one-time review/post approach and didn't get the results I expected. Interesting to think of it as a long-term relationship and at a deeper level. Thanks for the insight.
This column has spawned an interesting conversation in our office about how online moms are exceptionally and increasingly savvy and attuned to gratuitous marketing messages embedded in mom-focused content. For maximum impact and credibility, marketers should be wary of how they walk the graying line between garnering real mom-feedback and mom-WOM vs. paying a mom to talk about their product and expect it to genuinely influence other moms. Building credibility is hard, regaining lost credibility is even harder.
Thanks for all the thumbs-up and RTs.
@Meagan Thanks for sharing your thoughts in this piece and down in the comments. I know I couldn't fit all of your ideas into my article. I dare say some mombloggers welcome the inflated stats that come as a result of giveaways, but the bloggers I consider my to be my personal influencers have something substantial to say.
@Kristina I don't mean to imply there is no longer a place for seeing bloggers with samples for reviews or giveaways. But yes, women who are putting in dozens of hours each week to build their blogs and their online presence want more than those samples and have the knowledge and skills, not to mention connections, that companies need. I attended an event recently that would have been much better if they had a "tour guide" to help them understand expectations and best practices in the blogging community. For a few hundred or maybe a few thousand dollars invested with a blogging consultant prior to the event would have made a big difference. And I think my advice has helped my clients use their time and target their efforts more effectively.
@Mary I'm glad you find this useful.
@Michelle A great example of how you can work with a momblogger is to help you target reviews and possibly even do the outreach on your brand's behalf. I'm going to open an email from a friend. An email from an unknown PR person is more likely to get dumped without more than a glimpse at the subject line. That said, if my friend is pitching me irrelevant products or services, she might become irrelevant herself.
@Jennifer Good point about credibility. That speaks to Audrey's point about shared interests and passions. I'm not a fan of paid reviews and even though the reviewer might claim it's win-win to review a product they love, readers may not see it that way.
Great article. Why are mom's such an afterthought?
This is a great commentary - and something I've thought about a lot. This:
"Just because a blog is well-read doesn't automatically mean the blogger has credibility--especially if people are only visiting in order to enter giveaways or jump into controversy,"
Oh, so true. People will visit and visit for giveaways that doesn't mean they are reading a thing beyond what is necessary to enter. I've thought a lot about this and made decisions of my own in this regard. The content issue is a tricky one - There is a focus on wanting good content yet what people ask you is how many unique views you have.
In the end, content will be what is enduring. It always is. This was a great and well thought out article.
Copying and pasting ad copy is not the heart of blogging nor is it the way woman communicate to each other. And that is why it does not work.
Tracy