The dramatic rise of the Mummy Blog in the UK has become a
force to be reckoned with; real mothers writing and discussing everything from
current affairs, health and fashion, through to business, cookery and wellbeing
whilst sharing personal experiences and the daily triumphs and turmoil of parental
life in front of a community of loyal readers.
For the mums, blogging can provide a great outlet, a place
to free the mind and escape the daily routine whilst simultaneously providing a valuable network and
support group. For some, blogging has
become a new-found source of income, supplemented with free goodies to review.
To businesses, they are an emerging holy-grail: popular,
trusted and worth investing serious time and energy into forging long-term relationships with.
So who is the typical mummy blogger?
In general terms, Mummy Bloggers are socially savvy, educated
women who wield extensive consumer power.
Their words and opinions can influence brand perception both online and
off. They expect to be taken seriously
by businesses and traditional media outlets.
They are the real, honest voices in a marketplace that has become saturated with ‘top-down’ messages.
Alongside other forms of social networking, they mark a new
form of Word-of-Mouth (WOM) marketing; you can’t control it but when
it works, the dividends are higher than any other form of marketing. Of all the elements of the communications mix
(editorial, publicity stunts, advertising, etc), WOM is by far the most potent on a
one-to-one basis. No level of
advertising or expert selling could compete with a colleague, friend or an
established blogger recommending or criticising a particular product or
service. Similarly, it is unlikely that
a teaser advertisement could motivate a viewer/reader to watch-out for the next
advert in a campaign in the same way that WOM can.
How does WOM work and why are mummy bloggers the key to
generating it?
Research suggests that consumers talk about their bad
experiences with up to three-times more people than when they are satisfied. Before
the creation of the internet and social networking forums, this level of WOM
would be limited to fewer individuals but in relative terms this has now
amplified, making it all the more necessary for businesses to ensure their
customer service is second to none and their approach to WOM is at the top of
their marketing agenda.
Mummy bloggers possess a broad sphere of influence,
circulating both on and offline. Research
suggests that conventional media no-longer effectively reaches today’s mums’
who are more cynical to the mass marketed ‘top-down’ message with a tendency to
tune-out and view the source of information as unreliable at best and deceptive
at worst. WOM cuts through the clutter,
offering an alternative way for Mums’ to meet and exchange info.
Mummy bloggers tap into the conversational nature of
mothers. They can build or break brand
reputation through recommendations or
criticisms within a community of readers who trust what they say. Most mothers enjoy being part of a
collaborative community and introducing new products and services to their
mummy friends. Product reviews spread
awareness and create loyalty toward brands. Mummy bloggers want to discover brands that
incite passion, and they work to offer useful advice and suggestions to their
readers who are usually like-minded parents.
According to recent studies, a large proportion of mothers
read consumer-written product reviews online before committing even to the
smallest purchasing decisions; not only can I say this is true from a personal
perspective but I also know of many other mothers who also expend a similar
level of time and energy on their product research before committing to the
purchase and we, like many mothers, are compelled to share our findings with
others.
Connecting with Mummy Bloggers
Many businesses are scared-off the Mummy blogosphere
due to a lack of understanding in how to target a Mummy blogger or assess the level of reach of any one blog. Whilst it is true that certain Mummy Bloggers
exist only as a means to obtain 'swag', many work hard to maintain integrity
in their blogs. There are a few measures
available including the 'Top 10 Mummy Bloggers' by Cision
and Tots100 however, as the socio-viral market is ever changing, so the top
blogger last week may not be this week.
Some bloggers have the reach numbers to spread a message on
a larger scale, whilst others may have a smaller readership but more passionate
followers. Every blogger counts, even
new ones; if a blogger shows an interest in your product or brand don’t shy
away because you can’t see enough followers, work with them. If they
want to review your product but you're uncertain about committing the resources to
such an exercise, find other ways in which to nurture a relationship. In the same way that every customer counts,
apply this same logic to bloggers too, after all, it is likely that the
blogger is also a potential customer with lots of mummy friends both on and offline!
Blogs create and connect the mother with loyal readers who
look to them for information and recommendations. Businesses should engage and respond to
bloggers, understand the importance of the relationship and make the
interactions mutually beneficial.
If you want to influence how mothers' perceive your product,
brand or company, get involved in the conversation. To provoke WOM amongst bloggers and
consumers, create genuine, direct, personalised and transparent conversation.
Do your research: Mummy bloggers consider it important and
find it critical that companies familiarise themselves with each blog before
making contact, ensuring accurate personal details and more connective
outreach.
Need help?
If you still feel out of your depth and uncertain how to progress your business/product/brand through the Mummy blogging network, contact me and I will be more than happy to assist - email: lisa@spinpublicity.co.uk or call: 0845 257 1479
