What I learnt about marketing from becoming a mother
Just over a year ago I became a mother to a little girl called Dotty.
There are lots of things that being a mother teachers’ you, how to cope with very little sleep, how to eat, drink, go to the loo and do all manner of things one handed being just a few. Being a marketer and a new business owner, it's been interesting to observe how my relationships with brands and marketing have changed since becoming a mum – and in this blog I hope to share some of the insights I’ve found with you.
Over the years, I have had many jobs that have involved marketing to mums, and have always held a firm belief that you don't have to be a mum to market to one - and that belief still stands; just as I believe you don’t need to be a man to market men’s products, or a woman to market woman’s. But I do now feel I have unlocked a few secrets and insights I maybe wasn’t fully aware of before.
So here are my top 5 insights for marketing to mums
1. Brands play on worry, and its not cool (even if it’s effective!)
When you first have your baby, there is a chemical surge that goes through your body, or even if you don't birth your child, science tells us that there is still a reaction that happens in a your brain, part of which causes you to worry (that and you’re exhausted). And sadly, many many brands play on this. And the reason they do it, is it works. If you are a first time mum, and you're nervous, unsure and looking for reassurance (as I was), you panic buy. You buy things you don’t know you need. Before I started this company, whilst on maternity leave, I went on a work trip with my previous company, and I panicked that my breast pump wasn’t going to work – then social media did its clever thing and followed me around the internet with pump ads. Low and behold I bought a new one – the panic and lack of sureness had set in. This is just one example of the many unnecessary purchases I have made since becoming a mum, many of the other ones were driven by ads which made me feel like if I just bought X, I would be a better mum. But when I did buy items, I never felt good about them. The purchase decision wasn’t one driven by referral or product love – the brands had played on my worry.
2. Organic Social Media Works
I love social media. I love it for work, and enjoy it in my personal life and I often have conversations with clients about needing to spend money on social media, and that they need to ‘pay to play’. Which in many cases is true – everything we know about social media algorithms tells us this. But what’s interesting, is that since becoming a mum, I have found that many of the brands I interact on social are not marketing to me through paid adverts. They are using organic content. They have small audiences, and even smaller budgets – but their content is relevant, timely, and as a result their audience (other mums) engages with it, meaning its successful.
3. Recommendation is vital
I’ve always been a big fan of recommendation schemes, and refer a friend schemes. But when having a child this love has increased. Whether its Majestic wine, JoJo Maman Bebe, or local restaurants, you name it my friends and I have shared the links with each other. They typically come from a great referral scheme called Mention-Me (the guys behind Bloom and Wild’s success); but many brands choose to try and run referral schemes the old fashioned way – they simply ask their customers to tell their friends about them. And the thing about mums, and mum groups; is everyone is always looking for things to do. If you’re a brand and you don’t currently have a referral in place perhaps it’s time think about how you can drive your loyal customers to recommend you to your friends.
4. A solid distribution strategy is paramount
I saw a post the other day on Instagram that said that Jeff Bezos could cure world hunger and still be left with millions of pounds. It made me sick to think that, especially as he has famously said he doesn’t believe in philanthropy! But, I’ll be honest I can’t even count the number of things I have bought through amazon since having a baby. Everything from toys, to wipes, to nappies, to snacks. You name it, I’ve ordered it at 3am on the hundredth feed of the night. And we all do it, not just mums. If you are in the product business, and a small business, it’s time to think about how your customers are going to find you. With the greatest will in the world, I only know a small number of mums who will spend hours searching out independent businesses when they are sleep deprived and stressed. Maybe you don’t want to work with amazon; but who else can you work with to help you reach your audience quicker? Perhaps its Etsy, or Not On The High Street or another market place platform – which ever it is, these brands have such a strong following they will help you unlock your businesses power.
5. Mummy influencers are on another level
Before I had a child, I remember thinking, who reads Mummy Bloggers and why?! I knew they worked as a marketing tool, but could not imagine a world where they would influence my behaviour. Boy was I wrong. I am almost embarrassed to think about how many weaning, engagement and baby learning blogs I follow for inspiration – it’s a LOT. Do I buy what they recommend – absolutely (or more likely the Yorkshire girl in me sees me spending an hour on Ebay looking for a cheaper alternative). If your looking to target mums, influencers need to be in your armoury. But do your homework – there are lots of influencers out there who are very specific a certain part of child development – for example, if the weaning accounts I followed started trying to show baby clothes down my neck; I wouldn’t follow them any more. So, be sure to choose relevant partners to work with.
Whilst this blog is about what I learned about marketing from becoming a mum; it’s more about what I‘ve learned about marketing to specific groups since ‘joining one’. The learnings I have here are as relevant to marketing to mums, as they would be marketing to any audience that has a unifying characteristic. Who are you currently trying to target? And is your strategy working? Could it be working harder? Get in touch at hello@marketingwithpassion.co.uk