Category Archive for "Marketing To Moms"

This is a blog post I’ve wanted to write for some time and now I do so with a bit of lingering hesitation. I’ve delayed putting my observations into writing because I didn’t want to seem like I was generalizing or calling out any one blogger’s personal situation. However, enough time and events have gone by that it will reflect a picture of a sliver of the mom blogosphere. There is an evolution going on within the homes of mom bloggers. As an observer of human behavior, I have watched it with interest for the past 12 months.

As the popularity and success of the social media mom influencers grow, so do the challenges within her marriage. I watch it on Facebook, I read it in tweets and I can see it within images on Instagram. I will outline the progression for you. Mom begins blogging because she wants to meet other moms. Companies and brands begin showing her attention, sometimes inviting her on trips that  exceed her wildest dreams. She begins to develop a sense of independence and confidence. She is earning her own money.

Some moms change their eating habits, begin to exercise and eventually transform their bodies. She also spends a lot of time working on her laptop and traveling to keep up with her new life. This is where the challenge begins. Her spouse married the “pre-blogging” woman — the one that was available to him, the one whose focus was solely the family, the one who perhaps didn’t out-earn his salary. In other cases, mom enjoys her new-found confidence as she experiences the world beyond her kitchen and the spouse, who often ignores her needs over the needs of his children. It’s a challenge that exists in any marriage but in a marriage of social media influencers, it involves 20,000 followers on Twitter, secret Facebook groups and the ongoing attention of others.

For some couples, it’s a new and welcomed life and personal identity. Each family handles the transition differently. There have been increasingly more husbands and children traveling with moms on brand trips. The whole family gets into the fun and prosperity of social media. Today, there are some bloggers who have expanded their businesses to include their spouses like @MommyNiri and Jendi of Jendi Vlogs. In these two examples, the spouses are as well-known among the mom set as the mom herself.

For couples who don’t grow together, they grow apart quickly.  After all, that’s how it happens in social media — fast. Opportunities abound for the frustrated homemaker online, and the world becomes an oyster of blogger conferences and brand-sponsored vacations. Her new-found confidence takes her to places where praise and acceptance are plentiful. Her love for her family continues, but so does her love for herself. However, if she decides to end her marriage, she does it very quietly in order to preserve the public reputation she has created as a mom, wife, business owner and representative of the mom world.

What does this mean for companies marketing to moms? I document this trend in order to help you understand your market better. How it applies to your business, you will have to decide. Certainly, if your target is single moms, it’s good to know. I believe it’s important to recognize that the moms who blog about your products and upload videos praising your brands are humans, too.

They face the same challenges of others but in an amplified, fast-forward manner that is very public and at times fueled by the public. Most importantly in the business of maintaining relationships with these women, it’s necessary to follow their blogs, tweets and Facebook statuses in order to keep the relationship genuine. Just because you read her blog two years ago doesn’t mean that the same blogger exists in the same state or form today.

Historians attribute Bill Clinton’s successful run for the White House to “soccer moms.” Today, these mothers of influence can be found online on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. With mothers numbering over 82 million in the U.S., it’s no surprise that both Ann Romney and Michelle Obama made an effort to appeal to voting mothers during their national convention speeches. We recently polled over 1,000 mom influencers about their thoughts on the election, candidates and issues.

Social Media Moms

How often do moms discuss the election, candidates or political issues with other moms? More importantly, where and how are the conversations taking place? While traditional media remain a top choice as a source of information, Facebook and social media are the top choices for discussing politics and sharing opinions. The survey responses point to the increasing influence of social media on moms who love to communicate with each other.

• Moms mainly communicate via Facebook; an overwhelming 56% of moms ranked Facebook as the top choice, followed by blogs at 30% and Twitter at 25%.
• Forty-six percent of moms say they talk about politics on the phone, with another 44% of moms saying they talk politics at offline events, such as children’s birthday parties, sporting events and other group activities.
• Almost 41% of moms “Like” a candidate or political organization on Facebook.
• Most moms talk politics with their peers on a weekly basis (41%).
• To educate themselves on candidates and issues, moms like television over other media outlets. Over 74% of moms surveyed rely on television, followed by newspapers (66%) and online forums/websites (56%) as sources of information.
• More than 61% of moms responded yes when asked if they encourage another person to get involved or educate themselves on the issues of the November election

Issues Important to Moms

Whether on Facebook or on the playground, Moms have specific issues that resonate with them when deciding who gets their votes. Not surprisingly, the majority of moms – 53% – responded that once they have children, they start paying more attention to issues that affect their families.

• Ranking issues that resonate with moms, education and health care tie for the top spot. Almost 45% of moms rank each as their most important issue
• Jobs rank a close second with 43% with women’s health issues at 37%
• The choice of running mate ranks higher in importance (4 out of 5) than the choice of First Lady (3 out of 5)
• Close to 58% of moms appreciated the references that Ann Romney and Michelle Obama made to their roles as mothers during their convention speeches

For Better or Worse

What do Moms think about current politics, their personal situation and the future?

• In the current administration, moms ranked gay marriage and health care as the top areas of improvement.
• A majority of survey respondents ranked “jobs” as the area needing the most improvement during the next administration.
• When asked about the last four years, 19% of moms responded that they are faring better, 37% about the same and 44% worse for their families.

With an almost even split of Democrat and Republican moms (31% each), 20% Independent and 18% swing voters who vote across party lines, most moms already know their November choice. Over 88% of moms surveyed intend to vote in the election, with 74% indicating that they have decided who will receive their vote.

And, finally, on the lighter side of the issues, the attire of Michelle Obama and Ann Romney became the much-talked-about topic after the convention speeches. Just over 52% of moms would choose to wear Obama’s dress and 48% would wear Romney’s dress. Almost 37% of moms relate more to Michelle Obama, while 22% relate to Ann Romney.

No one can accurately predict the outcome of November’s election however one thing is for sure, U.S. moms will play a major part in who wins the campaign.

MomTV.com, the largest online TV network for moms, recently launched an enhanced site where moms join together to discover, learn and share through video. The new, interactive experience of MomTV.com lets moms upload videos on their own channel or simply watch videos, enjoy an online community and share experiences, opinions and advice on all things parenting.

“With video channels and shows created by moms and for moms, MomTV lets moms all over the world stay entertained, informed and connected,” said Maria Bailey, founder of MomTV.com and CEO of BSM Media. “Moms always want to share with each other and they now have an easy way to do that through video,” Bailey added.

MomTV gives parents access to an extensive video collection, the opportunity to upload their own videos or watch a live show. Each week, several shows are streamed live on the site, such as “iMommies in the Kitchen”, “The Social Toast” and “One Fit Mama”, all created by moms with their own MomTV channels. Experts like Dr. Bob Sears also host shows on MomTV.com.

An array of topics is covered on MomTV, from how-tos and toys to maternity and fitness. MomTV also features videos and product reviews from parents who love to share their advice and opinions.

Whether moms are looking to share videos of a birthday party, decorating ideas or a weight loss success, the new MomTV is the place to be! Check show schedules and even sign up to host your own show at http://momtv.com, or on Facebook athttp://facebook.com/momtvonline.

Add another item to your list of what not to do when marketing to moms – compiling and publishing a list of the top influential mommy bloggers, complete with a link to your Marketing to Mom agency website.

This weekend, the buzz in the social media mom playground was not a hot new product or clever advertising campaign. It was centered on a new list titled, “Global Top 100 Mommy Bloggers to Treat and Pamper In 2012”. It was published by a marketing firm that, very obviously, is trying to establish its expertise in the world of moms. I am not going to link to the list or the firm’s website intentionally, and you’ll understand why in the next few paragraphs. I became aware of the list when I suddenly began receiving “please take me off the list” messages across my Facebook feed. Curiosity got the best of me, and I discovered that I was one of the anointed on the list. Now don’t get me wrong; I appreciate it when someone recognizes my sphere of influence among other mothers. It has taken many years to build the relationships that I have with moms, and I hold these women and their best interests close to my heart.

My immediate response was not one of jubilation. Instead, it hit me like a bite into a bubble gum filled with a sour gel. I twitched, I cringed and then I did what most influential moms do when something hits them wrong. I turned to my friends on Facebook, posted my feelings and asked them to share theirs.  It didn’t take long to gain validation from other moms, many of whom were also on the list, that this was absolutely the wrong approach to connecting with influential mommy bloggers.

Here’s why:

1) We are not mommy bloggers. At least to people who are taller than 3 feet 5 inches, don’t eat chicken nuggets for breakfast and are old enough to vote. Particularly if we have never met each other or communicated in any way. I’ve written on this subject before on this blog- if you missed it – you can click here. Bottom line is that research supports that moms involved in social media and who own a blog don’t really want marketers to call them “mommy.”

2) Influential Moms are not asking to be pampered or “treated” by brands. They are asking to be paid.  Most work very hard to build their communities of influence. They sacrifice time with their families, they give up sleep at night and they tolerate the prostitution of their name by companies like the one who published this list. Most moms aren’t in this game to be pampered by a strange brand that has no established relationship with them. They are trying to run a business. And in the off chance that they would love your offer for a little time off from the family, I assure you that if they are indeed one of the top influencers, they have piles of invitations on their desks. If your brand strategy is to “out-pamper” other brands, here’s my advice. Save the airline tickets, spa fees and fancy dinners, because you will ultimately fail. Moms want real relationships. The best “treat” you can give one of these moms is to be transparent, sincere and find a common benefit for both her and your brand.

3) Some of the names on the list weren’t even moms. They were websites with a collection of mothers who author blogs. This little detail alone makes me believe that the author did little research into the people behind the names.

4) It was very clear to the women on the list (see the discussion on my Facebook page) that this was an SEO and link strategy for the company that published the list. It was clear that its intent was for each of the 100 “mommy bloggers” to post the link to their site in celebration of sharing their new accolade. Oh, they got links and buzz alright. No fewer than 30 of the top 100 posted thoughts of disgust and negative opinions about the company. Many even posted blogs about it such as Kelby Carr, who I proudly personally know and would indeed call an influencer. But that’s the important difference. I know Kelby and I can describe her reach outside of her KLOUT score.

Why companies feel that they have to fabricate relationships with social media moms is beyond me. It’s so simple. Establish a relationship that is mutually beneficial to both parties. Don’t expect them to work for free and respect them as business women as much as power moms.

I love when I see great Mom Marketing. I can’t help it. I am old enough to remember a day when brands didn’t really focus on moms in their marketing campaigns. Let me correct myself; there were some brands in the ’90s that used images of June Cleaver to portray their interest in and knowledge of moms but I rarely count that as good mom marketing.

What’s really ironic is when my teenage children point out good Mom Marketing to me. This was the case last week during the Cincinnati Reds game against the Milwaukee Brewers. My son and I were traveling through the Midwest on college tours when he persuaded me to stop in Cincinnati and enjoy a baseball game. Knowing that I was in the land of Proctor & Gamble, I should have expected to find Mom Marketing in the Great American Ball Park but it was the execution of the “Thank you Mom” Olympic campaign that delighted me. My son immediately pointed out the large “Thank you Mom” banner on the wall in right field.

The real surprise came during a fifth-inning break when the camera on the JumboTron scanned the bleachers to find moms with their children. It was great. Every fan they featured on the large screen was a mom sitting in the stands with her children. It was so heartwarming to see so many Moms smiling with their kids. Best of all, the only branding to the entire JumboTron was a small “P&G” in the lower corner. They didn’t need to say anything else. No one could deny that P&G understood mothers at that moment.

HP is another brand doing smart Mom Marketing. It’s back-to-school season but instead of just telling moms to buy their product, they have partnered with moms to get their solution-based ePrint printers featured on Pinterest. They know that moms are searching for creative and innovative back-to-school supplies that help their family members organize and prioritize during the school year so they enlisted over 100 moms to create Back-to-School boards on Pinterest. Each board features not only a HP ePrint printer but the best of back-to-school tools. Although it’s completely visual, it demonstrates that HP knows that conversations with moms take on very different forms.

Did you ever think that a “fascinator’ would become an American fashion accessory? In case you don’t recognize the word, it’s the small ornate hat-like accessory the royals and their guests wear in England. They were made famous during the royal wedding and later the Queen’s Jubilee. Cadbury and Blue Bunny combined the fun of fascinators, chocolate and ice cream by engaging moms in hosting Mommy High Tea Parties (www.mommyparties.com). The customized in-home party kits included a fascinator for each mom and child, product samples of the new Cadbury ice cream bars by Blue Bunny, coupons and a porcelain tea set for the host mom to use during her event. Moms and children enjoyed the magical tea party that every mom dreams of while tweeting, Facebook posting and recording every moment.  To see some of the great photos produced by the moms who attended check out: https://www.facebook.com/#!/MommyParties.

My final spot-on mom marketing campaign comes from a food brand. The name of the company doesn’t matter to us as marketers. I’m sure, however, that the moms involved with the program will definitely remember the name and more. Instead of setting up shop in New York during BlogHer, this meal-solution brand decided to develop their relationship with moms where it mattered most to them — around the dinner table while they are away from home. The company sent easy-to-make dinner kits to husbands of mom bloggers traveling to New York. The mom blogger may never see the product but I assure you they will remember who fed her children while they were away. And I bet dad will remember, too.

All of these creative and original marketing programs demonstrate that reaching moms can take on many different looks. The common thread is that each of these campaigns hits the heartstrings of moms and speaks to them at the exact right moment.

Summer time is in full swing.  Families are traveling to historical sites and theme parks across the country. Moms are packing their bags for business trips as well.  It’s the season when many brands decide to use travel as way to bond with social media moms.  If history serves me right, the first mom blogger FAM trip was hosted by Disney World in 2007.  They invited 14 mom bloggers to enjoy the magic of Disney during a four-day, all inclusive paid journey to Orlando.  It produced thousands of blog posts, tweets and FlickR pictures and caught the attention of other companies who quickly jumped on the travel bandwagon.  Unfortunately, many mistakes were made in those early days but with the benefits of hindsight, you can plan the perfect media trip for your brand.  Here are considerations to ponder before booking airline tickets and rolling out the red carpet.

• Establish Your Goals: Before the first invitation is issued, your company should establish goals in inviting moms to your retail location or headquarters. Is it one-time-only blog posts and tweets you seek or is it a long-term relationship.  If it’s the latte, you need to have some parameters of budget, communication and contact strategy before you reach out to moms.  A random invitation with no real purpose will only confuse the mom and bring you disappointing results in the end. Remember – you are opening the door to a relationship.  The first question a social media mom will ask when receiving your invitation is, “What does your brand want from me in return?”

• Pick the Right Date:  I recently got an invitation to visit an upscale resort in Mexico with a group of social media moms.  The invite was beautiful and the trip looked magnificent.  The only problem was that the public relations team putting the event together had neglected to check the calendar of Social Media conferences.  They scheduled the trip right in the middle of BlogHer.  Although there is no official calendar for Social Media Moms, the most comprehensive list of events and conferences can be found at ShePosts.com, www.sheposts.com. Also take into consideration the life of a mom.  Avoid planning events during her busy times, Back to School, Halloween, Spring Break and Graduation season.  Mother’s Day is another time that she prefers to be with family rather than your marketing team.

• Select the Right Moms: This sounds easy, but I can’t tell you how many brands invite moms to events that just don’t make sense.  Recently, I was on a trip to a family destination for toddlers with moms who had teenagers. They were all popular mom bloggers with large followings but in my opinion didn’t fit the brand.  Additionally the brand had neglected to invite a culturally diverse group of moms and it was very apparent in the photos we took.  The trip was fantastic and I could tell the brand spent a great deal of money on the event. However, I could only imagine the additional exposure they would have received in the mom market by having the right moms at the event.  Trust me on this note of experience; sometimes you will gain a deeper, more valuable relationship with a mom who is lesser known than in inviting only the largest, most popular mom bloggers.

• Expect the Unexpected: You are inviting moms.  Their lives involve children which mean their lives have many unexpected challenges and obstacles.  Don’t be surprised when a mom asks you to accommodate her toddler or she needs to join the trip later than you had planned because her child has fallen ill.  It happens and in any relationship you have to give and take.

• Establish the Right Follow Up:  You’ve invested a lot of time and money in hosting your media event with moms.  You’ve established a relationship which can easily grow and benefit both you and the social media mom.  Talk to the moms before they depart about their expectations for moving forward and how they would like to see the relationship grow.  Just ask them.  The one thing moms have plenty of is opinions and they will be happy to share them before packing their bags and heading home.

One final bit of advice.  Don’t forget to say “Thank You” once they return home.  It takes a great deal of preparation and work for a mom to leave her family.  She returns to piles of laundry, an in-box of emails and a home that most likely needs cleaning.  Show her you appreciate the time she gave your brand with a quick thank you note after the trip.

Have a great summer!

It’s no secret that Mom is the glue that holds the family project together. Mom drives the kids everywhere, juggles appointments with soccer games and often works outside the home. In today’s world of being the “multi-tasker extraordinaire”, it is more important than ever to understand what drives a Mom’s behavior and choices, and most importantly for businesses, which tactics appeal to Mom’s core values while helping to make her life easier.

Regardless of age, race, ethnicity, family size or geographical location, there are five core values that drive Mom’s decisions. Health and Safety, Family Enrichment, Value, Simplification and Time Management are the core values that should be the starting point for every program or engagement you create with or for a mother. The first core value – Health and Safety – is at the top of the list for a reason and the one we will focus on here.

Few things rank higher on Mom’s list of priorities than the health of her family. Mom is smart enough to know that she needs help, advice and support to keep her children safe and healthy. She wants to know that a company, doctor or service provider cares about her family’s health and well-being. To achieve this result, companies who design products or programs that tell mom they understand and care about her healthcare needs are demonstrating a shared core value through actions.

Moms also use relationship building and community, among other factors, to connect with the five core values mentioned earlier. They are the channels mom leverages to ensure her children grow up safe and healthy with the hope of having “more”, whether it’s food or education, in the most value minded, simplistic way possible within her limited amount of time.

Relationship Building

Nurturing relationships speaks to the core of a mother’s existence. Mom inherently nurtures relationships with almost everyone and everything she comes in contact with throughout the day.

What does a healthy, satisfying relationship look like? Two important ingredients include knowledge and two-way communication. Information, knowledge and know-how are important currencies for a mom. In the world of moms, it all comes down to the fact that one mom may know something that Moms in her peer group may not know yet. Knowing the answer to a common (or not so common) children’s health question or concern gives Mom an elevated status as she spreads the news to friends and family.

Coupled with knowledge is the positive impact of relationship-building techniques. When Mom experiences quality service that exceeds expectations, she is empowered with knowledge that will enlighten her peers, with the added benefit of solidifying a healthy relationship. Mom will be a loyal customer and best of all, will spread the valuable “Word of Mom” to friends, family, even strangers on the playground.

However, knowledge is only a small part of the larger tool a mom will use to nurture relationships. Communication is the overriding means of a mom getting her message distributed and absorbed by the people around her. The strategy of utilizing new media speaks directly to her core definition of communication, if considered as a multi-channel delivery system. While Mom uses email and of course, her smartphone to communicate with the world around her, the same email or smartphone reminder about an appointment, a newsletter with industry news or local updates or the “old-fashioned” phone call (to the most convenient number) is a valuable tool when reaching a very busy Mom. It means that mom will engage with the situation by opening the email or picking up the phone or reading a web-based email with – and this a the critical point – an expectation of response, if requested.

Another important factor in communicating with Mom, especially using new media and technology, is that she can access the information on her own time. This on-demand access means Mom does not have to alter her routine and can keep the day moving at her own pace.

Community

Mom is a part of multiple communities, from family and the workplace to children’s school and usually more than one social group (think book club or playgroup). In order to develop a meaningful relationship with mom, it’s important to be a part of her community. How does a company or product accomplish this task? Determine a touch point that is relevant to Mom (and her peers) and present it in a way that is neither too commercial nor patronizing. Giving Mom something of value and relevance, along with a sense of validation on her part will open the door to Mom’s community groups.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to engaging with today’s moms. These tactics are just the tip of the iceberg. Remember that Mom is a powerful consumer that, once a loyal customer, can be the best form of marketing for your business and brand.

Spring is upon us  and while many marketers plan based on a retail calendar, we challenge you to think like a mom. Knowing what’s on her “to-do “ list today can impact your bottom line tomorrow.
Here’s where the opportunities lie today for marketers:

1)      Easter Baskets-  Moms are frantically searching for small, fun items to fill their children’s baskets.  If you are a toy company with a product under $10, this is the perfect season to become a Peter Cottontail solution! Healthy, kid-friendly snacks and spring clothing companies can also take advantage of a Mom’s need to find special tokens for her children.

2)      Graduation- The gift-giving needs of moms don’t just include college and high school graduates.  Thanks to the desire to share the milestones of their children, moms now throw special events for nursery school, elementary and middle school graduations. This is a great time for school supply, technology and keepsake brands to let moms know you are here and ready to meet their gift-giving needs.

3)      Summer Camp and Activity Planning- In a short few weeks, the school bell will ring for its final time and moms will be challenged to entertain children for the summer.  Now is the time that she is seeking out camps that aren’t already filled and booking daytime activities to keep her attention hungry kids busy.

4)      Summer School- In some parts of the US, summer means school.  North Carolina moms, among others, are on year-round school and it’s time to restock the pencils, pens and notebooks. For college-bound graduates, it means stocking their dorm rooms. Moms are already looking for deals on bed sheets, college tools and new technology to send with their young adults.

5)      Summer Eating- The sun is extending the days for moms and this means her cooking pattern changes.  In a recent survey by BSM Media, mom confirmed that the summer means a change in the foods she buys and the dinners she serves.  Moms are grilling out more and purchasing more “on the go” foods as her family goes in different directions with the relaxed schedule of summer. She prefers lighter foods and individually packaged snacks.

6)      Organization- This is the time of the year when mom is getting organized. She’s putting away the winter clothes that her family barely wore this year and attempting to get organized before her children get out of school.  If you are a solution for packing away sweaters or clearing off counter tops, now is the time to reach out with your brand.

7)      Travel- I left the most obvious for last.  Moms are finalizing their summer travel plans. However, you don’t have to be an exotic beach destination to get her attention.  With gas prices high and time short, local amusement areas and state parks have the opportunity to lure mom and the family.  She’s looking for experiences that are memorable, affordable and fun.

Keeping in step with moms is one of the most important tactics of marketing to her.  Leverage these insights to speak in a meaningful and relevant manner that’s timely and solution-driven and you’ll be successful in marketing with moms.

More and more, we are reading articles and blog posts about the changing roles of fathers in today’s family. Everyone seems to agree that today’s fathers are more involved and active in their role as parent and caregiver. Last month, in cooperation with the Marketing to Moms Coalition, we fielded a survey of 100 social media-savvy dads to get a sense of how technology played a part in daily fatherhood. Here are some of the results.

Smartphones Rule

Close to 70% of Dads indicate that they own a smartphone and use it for shopping, with the most popular use listed as “looking up store locations and hours.” Guess this dispels the myth that men don’t ask for directions. Other popular smartphone uses include keeping family and work schedules (48%) and managing grocery lists and using online coupons (37%).

Social Media in the Spotlight

More Dads than ever are using online tools and social media to get information, communicate with others and save money.

• Online coupons are very popular, with almost 79% of Dads admitting they use email coupons, email offers, blog/deal sites and search engines for specific coupons.
• Ninety-three percent use Facebook and 72% use Twitter to communicate with friends and family.
• Almost 40% of these Dads “like” over 20 brands on Facebook, with 85% liking a brand “whose products/services (they) prefer.” In a close second, 81% of Dads like a brand that offers deals, discounts and coupons.
• 62% post on Facebook when they want to share with family and friends, most often posting pictures of family/friends or reposting news.

Dad’s social media and technology use closely reflects what we know of Mom’s use – both are rapidly increasing as parents seek time- and money-saving solutions, information and ways to share news.

As marketers looking for a connection with your consumer, you should use technology to create a relevant and meaningful dialogue to turn your Followers and Friends into loyal customers regardless is they are Mom or DAD.

I have the benefit of being a mom and a blogger. In fact, mom is the probably the title I am most proud of possessing. Last week, I even became a West Point Mom. I am also a blogger. However, I am also a podcaster, a radio talk show host, columnist, author and business owner.

And, in some ways, my roles outside of my blogs makes me more influential for the products I love. So if you had to put a name on me, what would it be? I can assure you it would not be “mommy blogger.” No one calls me “mommy,” not even my children these days. I prefer to be known as a Social Media Mom or even a Social Media Influencer.

I’ve never, however, liked to use myself as a focus group of one so, recently, I went out on my Facebook page, not my blog, to ask other moms who blog, what they prefer as a title. My mission was to validate a rumor I’ve heard among mom bloggers that they hate to be called, mommy bloggers. Here’s what I got back, although I will use names or blogs to protect the very opinionated.

First of all, the topic was hot. In less than 15 minutes, I received more than 50 responses. I’ve summarized some of the common themes and comments.

1) All moms who blog are proud of being moms. Some didn’t really care if they are called mommy or mom; what was important to them was that their role as a mom was recognized by brands and peers.

2) Many moms don’t blog about parenting or children. These moms felt like the term mommy blogger was limiting and implied that they only blogged about diapers, toys and laundry.

3) Mom bloggers don’t call each other mommy bloggers. This tells me a lot about the division between moms, marketers and brands. If you truly understand your consumer or target market, then you should at least use their language when you are speaking to them or about them. One popular mom who blogs said it best, “I don’t like to be called mommy anything except by my children.”

4) Why don’t companies and the media call dad bloggers, “daddy bloggers?” Good question. Many moms asked this question and left it at that.

5) Mom bloggers use mommy blogger only to open the door to media and brands. They know if they use the term, marketers will be more open to talk to them because, after all, it’s a term marketers understand since they coined it.

6) Mommy blogger sounds condescending and doesn’t represent the professionalism of moms who own blogs. This is perhaps the comment I heard the most. The media is to blame for breeding the sexiness of the term. It started with “mommy wars.” Sexy sells but, honestly, does anyone thing of their own mommy as sexy?

So what do you call a mom who blogs?

I bestowed the title of Social Media Moms on these women a few years ago. I also use Power Moms as I believe their influence goes well beyond social media audiences. There were several terms and titles offered up but the moms on my Facebook page. Social Media Influencers, lifestyle bloggers, writer, and blogger were among those suggested. However, the most popular of all was, “I am a mom and I am a blogger.” I’ll leave it at that.