• by Lisa Mabe-Konstantopoulos , Op-Ed Contributor, October 23, 2015

I recently had the opportunity to speak at MediaPost’s Engage Millennials Conference in New York City. I moderated the panel, “Scaling The Niches: Finding Efficiency Among The Moments,” which you can now watch online on UStream here. Our panel addressed the challenge brands have in scale and efficiency in outreach to Millennials. 

Millennials are diverse, in different life stages and are all over the map geographically and in terms of the media they consume. For a brand hoping to engage with more Millennial moms on a larger, more efficient scale, here are some ideas from the conference on how to connect with more moms.

It’s not possible to be everywhere; be selective in the media you choose.

Identify where your core audience is already discussing your category the most and focus on those. It is better to do two or three social media platforms well (for example) than do several more and do them poorly. If your audience loves Pinterest, invest most of your effort into that platform. If you know your consumer reads a particular blog, like strollerinthecity.com or subscribes to The Bump Magazine, consider advertising or sponsorship content with those media outlets. 

Collaborate with social influencers that Millennial moms are already following.

Honest to Nod is a collaborative blog from the Land of Nod, a catalog, Internet and retail store for children’s products. The blog leverages like-minded influencers, such as mom bloggers and designers to create content that will inspire their customers. This approach allows them to reach the individual networks of those influencers.

Enlist the support of your partners.

One way to amplify your reach is to ask for the support of your partners. A good example of this is getting your retail partners to feature your brand in their consumer communications – from retailer magazines and blogs, to their Facebook and Instagram pages.

Offer Millennial moms “social currency.”

Leveraging the influence of the mothers who already buy your product is ideal, as they are likely to know lots of other moms who would also want your product. One way to get moms buzzing about your brand is to offer them a fun way to express themselves. For example, let’s say a mom just purchased your organic snack product on your website; the purchase confirmation page could include a social media share graphic that allows mom to brag about the healthy snack she just purchased. It’s an opportunity to allow that mom the chance to be seen by her peers as a trendsetter, someone in-the-know, a mom who prioritizes her family’s health. 

Don’t overlook niches.

Just because you may need to reach the masses does not mean you overlook niche communities. Whether considering advertising or sponsored content in a magazine, or website, or through social collaborations and editorial coverage, smaller niche communities can absolutely still be worth your time and budget. The key is again to be selective in who you work with; partner only with the niche communities that are a great cultural fit for your brand, and one that ideally offers a fair amount of the consumers you are after. I often counsel brands to implement a mixed outreach approach, including exposure with both niche communities and mass media.

Have you had success in scaling your engaging with Millennial moms? What sort of content or partnerships have proven successful for you?Let me know your thoughts by commenting below or tweeting to me at @LisaMabe.