By Mark Vance, Chief Marketing Officer, RainSoft Home Water Treatment Systems

 

 

 

 

 

Mommy bloggers are mothers who write and maintain blogs, either as a hobby, or, in some cases, as a way to make money. They are making a huge impact in blogosphere because consumers are beginning to trust other consumers’ opinions more than they trust what they hear from large corporations. Even large corporations have taken note – Johnson & Johnson has a wide-ranging mommy-blogger strategy that includes sending out product samples to mommy bloggers for review.

Mommy blogs are usually written with an emotion and personality that connects with readers in ways that other media often can’t, and they deal with subjects that naturally carry strong emotions, like home, family, marriage and children. Interacting with mommy bloggers is a great way for businesses with limited marketing budgets to get the most bang for the buck.

Here are five things you can do today to start a conversation with mommy bloggers about your product or service:

1. Start reading a few mommy blogs on a daily basis.

Before you can start interacting with mommy bloggers, you need to know how they communicate, and what they talk about. Also, take note of others’ comments on blogs. Which types of subjects seem to be the most popular? Which mommy bloggers seem to be the top dogs in your niche? If you don’t know how to find mommy bloggers, try looking in a blog search engine like Google Blog Search or Technorati. Once you find a few blogs you like, you can follow the links on these blogs to other similar blogs.

2. Dip your toes in the water.

Once you’re familiar with a certain mommy blogger niche, go ahead and start commenting on posts you find interesting. You should only comment on a blog post if you have something specific and constructive to say that would add to the conversation. Make sure you’re not just commenting to promote yourself or your business.

3. Offer an experience.

Consider whether there is a unique experience you can offer moms. Maybe you send influential mommy bloggers a gift certificate to be used on your product or service. Several companies, including Johnson & Johnson, have started inviting small groups of mommy bloggers to their main headquarters for personal tours and events. Dodge gave moms a one-of-a-kind experience by inviting them to test-drive a new, fully loaded, Dodge Caravan for an entire week.

4. Let the cameras roll.

Just like the rest of the online community, moms like to share their own videos and view others’ clips ranging from kids’ cute antics to how-to videos. There are several ways to use online video to reach out to moms. First, you can post your own instructional, inspirational or entertaining video clips. Another option is to get moms involved in a contest that requires them to submit their own video. For example, Johnson & Johnson recently hosted a YouTube contest, "Big Bubblin' Stars!," which solicited funny bath time videos from mothers.

5. Remember not all moms are created equal.

Although mommy bloggers share many of the same concerns, such as protecting their children’s health and well-being, their demographics vary. When you contact them, be sure to address them personally and show them that you have read their blog.

These are five of the most important tactics to consider when crafting your mommy blogger strategy. For more information on marketing to moms, I recommend books like “Mom 3.0: Marketing WITH Today's Mothers by Leveraging New Media & Technology,” by Maria Bailey.

Mark Vance is the chief marketing officer of RainSoft, a provider of home water treatment and air purification systems. With its dedication to extensive laboratory research and development and rigorous third-party testing, RainSoft is committed to becoming the most trusted source of residential water quality systems in North America. For more information on RainSoft water treatment systems, please call 1-800-RAINSOFT or visit RainSoft.com.

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