Like many social media moms, Irene Bernshteyn, a New York stay-at-home mom, turned to Facebook and blogging to gain exposure for her hobby-turned-small-online-business, Baby Chic.
Mommy bloggers have become a strong online force, helping marketers to reach mothers, a powerful demographic that often controls household spending. With over 30,000 mom bloggers and their strong following, they are capable of activating an online network of thousands of people within their community who quickly interact through a number of viral channels, including Twitter and Facebook.
“Facebook is a huge exposure. There is a movement called “Link Love,” where I check the fan pages of some jewelry makers I like, and then I can post my links on their discussion board. In turn, they “like” my store’s fan page and post their links–it’s like free advertisement of their business,” said Bernshteyn.
While some social media moms still rely on one another to cross-promote their Web sites and prompt online participation, many seek out and cultivate powerful relationships with brands that seek to reach a similar audience. In light of Mother’s Day, let’s celebrate social media moms and their impact on social media marketing.
Four emerging social media trends for mommy bloggers:
- Oversharing – more and more moms are moving beyond blogging and are joining location-based networks such as Foursquare, and other sharing-based sites such as Plancast, which allow moms to share their plans for the future, and Blippy, which allows them to discuss their purchases.
- Blog sponsorships - while many brands recruit moms to generate buzz about their products through blogger outreach or place traditional display ads, more are beginning to sponsor individual mom blogs that align with the brand. Participating bloggers are already customizing content, contests, and giveaways.
- Self-owned communities – mommy bloggers will expand their efforts beyond individual blogs and fan pages into self-owned communities, built using white label forums/social networking platforms and plug-ins. Pioneer Woman has already paved the way for this trend.
- Campaign consultants – According to Mom Blog Magazine, brands will soon hire mommy bloggers to consult on campaigns in the ideas and planning phases instead of after a social media crisis hits the fan that requires reactionary advice.
Here is a list of top 25 influential moms in the Twitterverse according to the Mom Blog Magazine.
