When it Comes To Blogs, Mummies are the Word



















By Poppy Mason-Watts, account executive, Clarion Communications, part of the WPP Group.

"Blogging about the minutiae of family life to offer a no-holds-barred account of life with children” (Lee & Curcic, 2010) - that’s an ideal description of a mummy blog, although they certainly aren’t restricted to child-related subjects and can include a wide array of topics.

So what is their importance in the PR world?

Mothers are increasingly engaging with online social media tools, and blogging is no exception.  A 2010 US study conducted by the two largest interactive online communities for women, BlogHer and iVillage, reported that 73% of women surveyed were active social media users - with blogs second only to Internet searches as their preferred media source for product information.

With this in mind, here are some of the reasons why brands need to listen to them:

  • Mummy bloggers are real, have honest voices and insist on upholding what they value most, which makes them so much more effective than traditional advertising.

  • Mummy bloggers value recommendations from other mummy bloggers [read our recent post for more information on this].  A large majority of mums read consumer-written reviews online before making even small purchases.  They share their thoughts and enthusiasm with other mums and are becoming leaders in the word of mouth movement. 

  • Mummy bloggers can circulate information both online and offline.  They build brand reputation through word of mouth recommendations or criticisms with a community of readers who trust what they say.


But why the focus on mummy blogs?

Having worked on two large projects solely focussed on targeting mummy bloggers, it’s an area that is quite unlike traditional PR in that it’s essential to make friends with the bloggers.  Granted you can take journalists out for lunch and have a natter - but when can you chat to a journalist about what shoes they will be wearing to Cybermummy (the largest parenting blogger conference in the UK), or send out flu remedies because you know their child is ill and you happen to be working on a health client?

Yes, my new friends are a little older and have more worldly experience than I do - I’ve never suffered from post-natal depression, or currently house five children under six.  But we chat and build up a trustworthy relationship with one another.  And that’s the secret: treat bloggers like normal people.

I have a guilty Friday afternoon pleasure to confess: I read my favourite mummy blogs – not just because they have me laughing out loud, but because it’s a huge draw to Mummy influencers if I know what’s going on in their world, so I can target the right people with most relevant products.

So why not take a moment and do the same – and to get you started, here are just a few of my favourites:


The Boy and Me
Who’s the Mummy
Madhouse Family Reviews
SuperAmazingMum
I Heart Muthahood
Curly and Candid
Mummy from the Heart
Simply Hayley
Mama’s Busy World
Mum on the Brink
Mellow Mummy
A Mother’s Ramblings

11 comments:

  1. You have listed some of my favourite blogs here! But you seem to have missed mine off - I'm sure it's an oversight ;)

    www.realsuburbanmummy.com

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  2. Really like this post. A great insight into Mummy bloggers.

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  3. Thanks for the post- we get quite a bit of a bashing in some circles, but we're generally a friendly, helpful and not to mention talented bunch.

    http://20somethingmum.blogspot.com

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  4. Aww thanks for the mention Poppy. Good post. I also see we're both part of WPP - in my other life working in Market Research!

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  5. haha I was limited on how many I could number, I'll be sure to add yours to mummy blog part 2 post Anwen!

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  6. Oooh I'm honoured ! Thanks very much for the mention :) Very interesting post too x

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  7. Poppy, I knew you were an amazing PR but now I know that you are awesome. I've really enjoyed working with you on several occasions and you've set the bar for what I expect from PRs, many of them could learn a thing or two from you!

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  8. What a great post Poppy!!! In my other life (prior to kids) I used to work with WPP as well!!!

    Feel free to take me out to lunch ANYTIME!!!

    Lov S.A.M xx

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  9. I can think of a few PR bods who do the friday afternoon thing - I often see a comment pop up late on a friday from familiar faces. Its nice to know that where I'm expected (as a mum, a consumer and as a blogger) to keep uptodate with whats going on with different brands and products, that someone somewhere is trying to keep uptodate with what I do too.

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  10. Great post Poppy! I think your article captures the essence of what makes a PR- blogger relationship work for the client: cultivating the relationship.
    It has always been such a pleasure to work with you and as one of the previous commenters said, you have set the bar high for those coming after you: You take the time to get to know both your clients: the one whose product/service you are promoting and the blogger who is doing the promotion on your behalf (often for little return.) That has got to be a successful formula... the personal touch!

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  11. It is really refreshing to read how highly you regard bloggers. I have always enjoyed chatting with you.

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