• by Maria Bailey , Columnist, December 5, 2012

If you think this blog post is about delivering your marketing messages to moms while she's running errands and carpooling to children, you might be surprised. It is about a mom running and about marketing to moms but the mom is me, and the run is my weekly long training run. It's that time of the year again when I ramp up my miles in preparation for a winter marathon. I take advantage of this time alone and often reflect on life. Since marketing to moms is such a big part of my everyday activities, it was the subject matter of my 13 miles last Saturday. When you have that much time to think, your minds drifts in all sorts of directions. Sometimes the thoughts are connected but most of the time, it's one steady stream of consciousness. So here's a glimpse into the mind of a mom marketer on the run. Literally. 

* 2012 has been a year of evolution for bloggers.  More and more of the moms who started blogging 3-5 years ago are changing their blogs to reflect new interests and writing styles.  For instance, Carol Cain, known as NYCityMama, is now building her brand as GirlGoneTravel.com, and Kim Coleman, who grew her audience with Mom In the City, is now a foodie blogger at Foodie City Mom. I hope that brands will take the time to actually read the blogs of the moms they email and pitch because, if not, they are using a list that may have gone stale.

* Pinterest is the new Twitter. Moms are still using Twitter but for converting images and links into sales, we are seeing more response on Pinterest.  Moms are finding many different ways to use Pinterest to help them make decisions.  Every new recipe I cooked for Thanksgiving came off of Pinterest.  As I am doing my holiday shopping, I am visiting the Pinterest boards of my children to see what's on their wish lists and when I am looking for cute new outfits that will push me out of my comfort zone, I go to Pinterest.  As marketers, we'll find new ways to leverage this social media platform in 2013. 

* Video. Vloggers. Video.  2013 might finally be the year that brands and PR agencies finally recognize the value of video.  YouTube is the second-largest search engine and Millennial moms, in particular, love videos.  We continue to see the growth of personal YouTube channels and videos posted on other social network platforms. However, brands and PR firms have been slow to engage with mom vloggers and digital broadcasters.  MomTV.com, www.momtv.com, has seen a 200% growth in just 3 short months since it's relaunch and popular mom bloggers Jessica McFadden, Leslie Gail of Reinventing Motherhood and Charlene DeLoach of Charlene Chronicles are are now producing and streaming live shows online.  

Tumblr is going to be the new marketing tool for early 2013.  There's still a lot of growing that Pinterest has to do but Tumblr is right on its heels.  In fact, I wonder if the next generation of mom bloggers, the youngest Millennials, will be using Tumblr to satisfy their desire to blog in this more visual and versatility landscape. It's visual and you can easily add special effects like music and GIF files.

Home invasions of mom marketing will continue to grow.  We call them MommyParties, www.mommyparties.com; others call them in home parties.  By any name, brands and agencies are engaging moms with their products in kitchens, living rooms and backyards, and it’s working.  Moms love the product samples; enjoy socializing with other mothers and touting her relationship with big brands online after the party.  With the right mom influencers, these in-home events can create as many impressions as a blog post.  Check out some of the Facebook conversations online: http://www.facebook.com/MommyParties

It's time to write a book on Millennial moms. It's the buzz word and marketers are trying to understand this newest generation of moms.  But, wait, wouldn't it be better for me to educate marketers in the same form of media they are consuming?  This means if I want to educate marketers on what makes the Millennial mom tick, I need to do a live broadcast, create a Tumblr blog or create a webisode series.  Definitely.  There are so many interesting nuances about Millennials, from their flair for exotic flavors to the desire to stand out among others.  Perhaps that will be my next Engage:Moms blog post but for now, it's time for a water break.