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By: Crisel Mills, Senior Director
I was recently having a conversation with a coworker, and we started talking about mommy bloggers and how much the space has changed in the last ten years. Most of the change I’ve seen has come from brands’ willingness to partner with mommy bloggers which has helped some turn their blogs into major lifestyle sites while others have become social influencers.
I first started working with mommy bloggers about nine years ago before many of them had joined or formed a mommy blogger network. Back then, it was easier for brands to get in front of mommy bloggers primarily because many started blogging as a hobby. If you’re familiar with Joanna Goddard’s Cup of Jo – she started her blog as a weekend hobby, a place where she could share life woes and cool finds. Fast track to today and she’s grown her blog into a national daily women’s lifestyle site. She, like many others, found a way to grow and monetize their blogs into full-time jobs. Others like Cool Mom Picks began with two moms looking to share the best parenting gear, and now their curated lists are regularly featured on national broadcast TV.
While many have turned their blogs into lifestyle websites and hired full-time writers and contributors, there are many more still who are just starting out and continue to grow their brands via their blogs and social. And today they have the added help of influencer and mommy networks that pair brands with bloggers or digital influencers depending on the campaign need. I’ve written about these types of networks before (see here), and while they are a great addition to any PR program, they blur the line between traditional mommy blogger and digital influencer because so many, especially millennial mommy bloggers, know how to use social media to their advantage.
It used to be that a traditional mommy blogger was someone who had a similar ratio in social followers to unique visitors per month whereas a digital influencer primarily engaged on social media ahem, Kim Kardashian. But now millennials like xo Rachel Pitzel and Something Navy do both. They have a well-read blog, but they also post frequently on social. Their social posts will be longer than a “normal” post but have beautiful imagery to attract their followers. While these millennial influencers are PR friendly, they’re more likely to partner with brands given how easy influencer networks have made it for them. That’s why depending on the product or service we’re promoting; we like to recommend a mix of earned and paid activities when it comes to mommy bloggers.
Need help navigating the mommy blogger or influencer space? Email us at pr@msrcommunications.com.