Marketing to Mums

Helping brands sell more effectively to the world's most powerful consumer, mums

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5 WAYS TO TAP INTO THE GROWING MARKET OF FEMALE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS

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Women are emerging as the new superpower in Small Business. Women’s Network Australia states that there are more than 660,000 women led businesses accounting for one third of all Small Businesses in Australia. Women are registering businesses at nearly three times the rate of their male counterparts. Are you neglecting this growing, powerful market?

Many women cite issues securing suitable child care, inflexible work arrangements, a lack of meaningful part time work and a desire to be their own boss and work on their own terms as key motivators to go into business. I can vouch that all of these were key motivators for me to launch my first business back in 2011 after the birth of my third child.

I believe that science also plays a part in fuelling a women’s desire to go into business. In 2008, a US neuroscientist named Craig Kingsley, discovered that the birth of a child actually sees an increase in the learning capacity and memory of women. Mothers develop expert problem solving skills with many women starting businesses to provide solutions to unmet problems they have identified in the marketplace or experienced first-hand themselves.

The rise of women, particularly mum led businesses in Australia is significant. We are seeing a shift and expansion in the purchasing power of women. Now not only are women responsible for the majority of purchasing of groceries, holidays and clothing, they are now substantial purchasers and consumers of legal and accounting services, office leases, electronic goods, insurance, printing services and office supplies. This represents a great opportunity for many Small Businesses.

Here are five things you can do to tap into the growing number of women led enterprises to drive your business growth:

#1 REVIEW YOUR IDEAL CLIENT

With new financial year plans well underway in many businesses, now is a great time to review who is your ideal client or customer. This could be a survey of your top 20% of clients or customers to better understand who they are and what problems they are experiencing. Are women led businesses a growing part of your business? If you decide you want to target women led businesses consider speaking to them to better understand their problems and how your products or services could provide the solutions. I have always found women to be very supportive and willing to share their opinions.

#2 REDIRECT YOUR PROMOTIONAL DOLLARS

If women are running more than a third of all Australian businesses, does your marketing budget reflect this? In preparing next financial year’s marketing spend look to allocate 30% or more into securing more of this growing market segment.

#3 REVIEW YOUR BRANDING AND PROMOTIONAL MESSAGING

In order to increase your sales conversions to women led businesses I strongly recommend you review your promotional messages, language, brand stories you share and look at the way you depict women in your promotional materials. In my experience working with mums, they show a high distaste for businesses which stereotype women or treat them as though they are all the same or stupid.

#4 LOOK FOR STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Marketing partnerships are one of the fastest ways to grow a business. Identify suitable female business networking groups and brainstorm potential opportunities to work together for mutual benefit. Marketing partnerships can be a great vehicle to share promotions and secure new business.

#5 GET SOCIAL

Women love social media; both for business and personal use. Ensure your business has a strong social strategy and start investing in growing your online community. Relationships with brands and suppliers are particularly important to women so ensure you are investing time and energy online. Brand loyalty can be harder to earn with women however, once achieved it sticks.

I believe that the growth in women led businesses will continue in Australia. The increasing support of women in the start-up scene in Australia, fuelled by the likes of Scale Investors, will see women led businesses grow and prosper. These five tips may assist your business capitalise on this growing, powerful market segment.

 

 

5 TIPS FOR MARKETING TO MUMS

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Mums are the powerhouse of the Australian economy responsible for a staggering $132 billion in sales every year.

Yet despite their economic power, they remain the most misunderstood, misrepresented and undervalued consumer segment in the marketplace. My organisation surveyed more than 1800 Australian mums and revealed that 63% of mums believe advertisers don’t understand them.

What an opportunity for those brands who can get it right. So how do you sway this powerful audience?

MY 5 TIPS FOR MARKETING TO MUMS ARE:

TIP #1  – KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE.

We’ve advised more than one hundred brands since launching in 2015, and we are always surprised and perplexed by the lack of knowledge concerning this powerful consumer segment. Brands tend to make the critical mistake of treating mums like they are all the same or targeting too broadly.

Mums are incredibly different and understanding your mum segment deeply will be critical to your success. A niche approach will yield the greatest rewards. Additionally, training and upskilling your teams about the mum market and ensuring you have a mum working on any brands selling to mums will assist to minimise marketing messaging faux pas.

TIP #2 – GET SOCIAL.

Our survey uncovered that 91% of Australian mums are checking their social media accounts daily with 30% checking in more than ten times every day. Facebook is the preferred social media platform of Australian mums no matter what their age is.

If mums are online, then your brand needs to be there too. Mums are demanding more from the brands they support. They want to build a relationship and understand what your brand stands for. Social media is an excellent platform to build rapport and trust.

Most importantly, it is a great place to listen and learn more about your community. Do this well, and it can lead to the introduction of new products and services to better solve your mum’s core problem.

TIP # 3 – FACILITATE THIRD-PARTY ENDORSEMENT.

Testimonials will make or break your brand as mums actively research brand offerings. Our survey found that testimonials have the greatest influence on a mum’s purchase decisions, greater than a mum-to-mum recommendation.

It’s important your brand is assisting mums to find great testimonials about your brand. Ensure they are captured and regularly updated on your website, featured on printed marketing materials and that you have ratings and reviews turned on your Facebook page.

A clear system for seeking testimonials from your customers should be implemented. Media reviews, awards and publicity can also assist in building an excellent positive third party footprint about your brand.

TIP #4  – ACTIVATE BRAND ADVOCATES.

Mums want to be part of your brand journey. This doesn’t stop when they purchase your product or service. They want you to continue engaging them. In our research, Australian mums expressed a desire to be actively included in New Product Development for brands they loved.

They want to have the opportunity to tell you how your product or service could be improved or your brand extended in ways you might not have considered. By inviting these advocates to get involved behind the scenes, you give them more reasons to talk about you to their networks, allowing you to deepen your relationship and understanding of your audience and most notably, improve your product offering. Have you ever asked them?

TIP #5  – EMBRACE STORYTELLING.

Mums are increasingly rejecting corporate sales messages. Mums want you to respect and earn their attention. Actively engaging in storytelling to convey your brand values and sales messages is a better option.

We’ve worked with many brands across diverse industries helping them identify their most profitable mum segment and assisting them to develop a yield strategy around this powerful and lucrative consumer group.

Astute marketers are investing resources into understanding their mum and acting on these tips and reaping considerable financial gain. Don’t you want a piece of the action?

5 MARKETING TO MUMS TRENDS TO BE AWARE OF

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Mums are a powerful audience controlling billions of dollars in spending in Australia each year.

Given their growing influence and dominance over the economy, their changing behaviours, cannot be ignored.

HERE ARE 5 MARKETING TO MUMS TRENDS WE BELIEVE MARKETERS NEED TO KEEP THEIR EYE ON:

TREND #1 – PODCASTING.

Mums are early adopters of podcasts in Australia. As experienced multitaskers, mums are listening to podcasts while in the car, exercising, commuting to and from work, and cooking; whenever they can get a moment.

They enjoy the intimacy of podcasts and the convenience of listening as opposed to reading. We are even hearing reports of the emergence of podcast clubs. Replacing the humble book club, podcast clubs require mums to listen to a couple of episodes from a particular podcast, and then they get together to speak about it.

In a time when mums are rejecting corporate sales messages, podcasts represent a great opportunity to build relationships and connect with mums in an uncluttered and uninterrupted way.

TREND #2 – MINIMALISM.

Minimalism is fast becoming the new black as mums increasingly adopt mindful decision making. They are seeking simpler, more sustainable lives. There is an emerging trend to declutter and destress their minds. When they do choose to spend, they opt for ethically made, high quality, durable products.

In the past year, we’ve seen the emergence of Facebook groups supporting women to buy less and wear their existing clothing. It’s a direct push back on the fast fashion industry and has resulted in the boom in the hire clothing industry.

TREND #3 – SUSTAINABILITY.

Mums are paying increasing attention to sustainability. Whether it’s coffee cups, coffee pods, nappies or sanitary products, mums are looking for biodegradable, eco-friendly alternatives. In recent times we’ve seen enormous success in businesses such as Modibodi, sustainable period underwear which removes the need to use tampons and pads, saving them from the landfill.

We expect to see the drive towards sustainability to grow into their power choice and automotive options in coming years.

TREND #4 – DIVERSITY.

Family structures have changed significantly in the past twenty years. An increasing number of couples are choosing not to get married, with one-third of children being born to unwed parents. Research shows there are growing numbers of blended families, same-sex families and women who choose to enter motherhood on their own.

Mums want to see more diversity in their marketing communications and will reward businesses who choose to do so.

TREND #5 – FUN.

Mums are increasingly seeking out fun with their children. Millennial mums, in particular, are wanting to enjoy playful, family experiences. They are seeking out the unusual, the unique, with fun being the key driver.

We are seeing more adventurous family travel as mothers view this as an increasingly important way to bond with their children.

We believe Mums are the most powerful consumer in Australia and we’ve built a business around understanding them and helping businesses sell more effectively to this influential consumer group.

We’ve researched thousands of Australian mothers and identified emerging behaviours. Harness these trends to assist you to drive growth and reap considerable financial gain.

5 BIG OPPORTUNITIES TO INCLUDE IN YOUR 2021 STRATEGY IF YOU SELL TO MUMS

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Are you keeping up with changing behaviour of mums? Just as technology is changing at a rapid rate so is the behaviour of Australian mums. Here are five opportunities you can harness in 2021 to grow your business if you market to mums

1. FACEBOOK LIVE.

Mums have a very limited attention span. They will frequently use the few minutes they have here and there to check in on their Facebook account. Mums enjoy video content on Facebook as they love the feeling of having a ‘conversation’ with you rather than reading a post. The visual element really speaks to them making Facebook Live an excellent medium for building relationships, launching a new product or service, or sharing your brand story.

Facebook Live is getting three times the reach of standard posts allowing you to cut through the newsfeed clutter. Very few organisations are currently using this medium to communicate with mums and those who do are enjoying excellent results. I recently engaged a large parenting community on behalf of a client to do a Facebook Live on their product and the reach exceeding all other mediums they used.  Embrace Facebook Live to reap the rewards of deeper relationships and higher sales.

2. FACEBOOK GROUPS.

Mums feel a sense of privacy within closed Facebook groups and will share more than on public Facebook pages.  Every day mums are speaking about brands within these groups and sharing tips and products and services to avoid, knowing that it is unlikely the brand will ever see it.  Here is where the real third party endorsement occurs. 

Facebook groups are growing in popularity with the Marketing to Mums survey reporting that almost two in three mums belong to Facebook groups just for mums.  These are not small communities either.  I am aware of highly engaged Australian mum communities in excess of 100,000 members.  Very few brands are currently engaging within Facebook groups, largely because they are not sure how to, so there is enormous opportunity to be one of the first brands to do so.

I recommend using a Marketing to Mums specialist to identify the best Facebook groups for your business and get them to negotiate advertising or an influencer campaign through the Facebook group.

3. INVOLVE MUM.

Have you ever requested mums’ input in your business? Mums are increasingly wanting to be involved in the creation of your product and service offerings. They like to feel they have contributed to how it all works and that their feedback has been heard and acted upon.  Mums are more likely to reward businesses which ask for their input.  It will strengthen your relationship and they are more likely to speak favourably about your business to their friends and colleagues. 

Consider using an online survey, phone interviewing your top clients or running an event to get their feedback.  Additionally look to implement a system which asks mums for their feedback about their experience and offer suggestions for improvements. If you are considering taking a new product to market ask some of your core clients for their opinions. There are great gains for businesses who work with their ideal mum to develop products and services together.

4. SURPRISE AND DELIGHT.

Mums are increasingly wanting a higher level of customer service. They expect you to earn their attention and value their loyalty.  One way you can deliver a more superior service in 2021 is to personalise the experience. Mums reward businesses who value their loyalty. They are more likely to recommend your business if they are confident in your service delivery. Invest time in working out how you can surprise and delight your client. 

5. BE REAL.

I am seeing a growing dissatisfaction from Australian mums about the way they are being depicted in advertising. This came through loud and clear our Marketing to Mums research.  They are increasingly penalising businesses who depict a mum living a perfect life.  They feel a great disconnect between advertising and their reality. 

Mums are beginning to actively reject brands that are not depicting them accurately. This is a big mistake to avoid in 2021 and beyond. Mums are incredibly skilled problem solvers courtesy of their children.  Businesses who choose to acknowledge the complexity of mum’s life will build more meaningful relationships and are more likely to grow their business.

Businesses who embrace Facebook Live, Facebook Groups, involve mums in the creation of products and services and in feedback, and business who are real, are poised to enjoy a wonderful 2021. Give some active consideration to how you engage mums and reap the benefits.

 

3 WAYS TO DELIVER AN AWESOME CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

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According to the latest CommBank Retail Insights report, 83% believe ‘customer experience’ is very important to their business strategy, yet only 30% rate their customer service as being greater than 9/10.

A great customer experience can turn a client into a raving fan who actively advocates for your business.

Here are three ways you can deliver an awesome customer experience:

1. ENGAGEMENT MATTERS

Your customers want to interact with you. Some more than others. Provide opportunities for this to happen through social media channels, a chat line on your website and blog comments.

I believe that all Small Business owners should be investing regular time every week, if not daily, interacting with their customers or clients on social media and other channels.  It not only drives engagement but it allows you to develop a relationship and gather great insights into your target market.

Engagement is critically important for businesses who target women as their decision making process differs from men. They take more time to make a decision, they want to understand you and your business, and what it values, before transacting with you.

By being engaged, you can assist your prospective client on the path to purchase.  This is also of importance post purchase as you want to keep them engaged so they can either recommend your business to someone else and come back and purchase from you again.

2. BE RESPONSIVE

We all know that problems can crop up within a business. Mistakes happen. It makes us real. It is how we deal with these business mistakes that can differentiate us from competitors.  Customers want to see you take the lead and proactively manage issues which arise. They want to be kept informed and updated on a regular basis.

Most problems can be solved easily and without damage to a relationship by admitting the error and taking immediate steps to resolve it.  Your job is to ensure you have a process to support this.

I always recommend leaving a negative comment on a Facebook page rather than deleting it. This provides an excellent opportunity for your prospective clients to see how you handle issues. It gives a more balanced assessment of your business and, arguably, makes your positive reviews and feedback stand out even more.

3. EXCEED EXPECTATIONS

The fastest way to build your army of raving fans is to be extraordinary and exceed your customer’s expectations. Go the extra mile and it will pay back in droves. Mums in particular demand a high level of customer service as they are time poor, juggling multiple commitments and well researched.

They understand what’s available in the market and at what price. Delight mum by exceeding her expectations and you have a powerful competitive advantage.

Early on in my entrepreneurial journey, I made an awful decision and represented a client who didn’t share my business ethics.  My customers started complaining immediately.  I immediately took the extraordinary action of admitting my error of judgement, apologising to my customers and issuing a refund to all 120 customers within 48 hours.

My proactive approach was rewarded. My customers understood that mistakes can happen but immediately owning it and refunding their transactions was unexpected, particularly for those who had not complained.

It told them that I understood and heard their concerns and they knew that I had their best interests at heart.  It actually turned a disaster into a PR success story simply by doing the unexpected.

Sometimes the unexpected is simply a handwritten note inside each of your orders, a card sent out to your top clients letting them know how much you enjoy working with them or a bonus service offering.

What extraordinary measure can you take in your business to delight your customers?

Support the above three tips with processes to deliver a consistent, awesome customer experience and you are likely to create an army of fans who will act as your most cost-effective marketing tool.

 

 

WHY EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS A TESTIMONIAL STRATEGY IN 2021

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In 2021, every business who wishes to attract mothers needs to have a well thought out testimonial strategy.

Why? Mothers are increasingly rejecting corporate sales messages in favour of third-party endorsements. As they seek the perfect solution to their problem they use testimonials to refine their search and minimise the chance of making the wrong purchase decision. 

WHAT AUSTRALIAN MOTHERS SAY

In our Marketing to Mums research in 2016 and again in 2019, we found testimonials to have the greatest influence in mothers’ making a purchase – they even outperform a mum-to-mum recommendation. The sentiments from mothers in our research included:

Testimonials are big for me, especially when the content isn’t edited, with the good and perhaps not-so-good included. I would happily spend more on an item if I can read an honest review.’

‘I find reviews the most helpful when researching a product or service for our baby. Hearing the pros and cons from people in the same position as me is a big influence for us. Incorporating reviews into each individual product you have on your site would absolutely increase the likelihood of me making a purchase.’

‘Provide all feedback from previous buyers, not just positive five-star reviews; that way I don’t have to search Google for hours to feel comfortable with the information. More often than not I will still purchase the product, and won’t be surprised by the item having flaws. Not everything is perfect.’

‘Mothers understand that not everything is perfect all the time. They spend their days problem solving. And a bad review provides a great opportunity for brands to demonstrate how they handle a problem. Mums watch closely when this occurs. Use a less than glowing review to amplify your superior customer service.’

THE POWER OF A SINGLE TESTIMONIAL

I’ve experienced the power of testimonials firsthand. A woman who owns a party supplies business read my first book Marketing to Mums: How to sell more to Australia’s most powerful consumer and posted this review in a closed Facebook group for mothers in business:

‘I finished reading this book this weekend and highly recommend it for businesses targeting Aussie Mums. Really great ideas and I’ve written myself a list of about 40 things to action from it!

Side note- I read the book on my plane trip from Canberra to Brisbane which caught the attention of the passenger next to me and he excitedly told me his daughter ran her own jewellery business! We chatted a bit more and I couldn’t believe the coincidence that I’d been seated next to Trinket Poppy- Clare’s dad!!!  Such a small world!’

The post attracted a lot of attention about the practical steps I provided for small business owners. Within 48 hours my book had gone to number one on Booktopia’s Business Bestseller list. It remained in the top 10 for the next four weeks. This started a chain reaction of events with an urgent call received from my distributor seeking more copies of my books to keep up with the growing demand across bookshops across Australia. This book is now in its fifth reprint.

TIPS IN CREATING YOUR TESTIMONIAL STRATEGY

Here are five things to consider in creating your testimonial strategy:

  1. Turn on Recommendations on your business Facebook page.

  2. Regularly encourage your community to share their experience working with you. Make sure you take the time to thank those who have invested their time in writing a review for you.

  3. Set up a system so that you automatically ask for feedback or a review after delivery of the product or service (once it is part of your customer process it becomes easier to ask). Remember to thank them for sharing their feedback.

  4. If you run events consider filming testimonials from participants straight after each event. These can be candid and done on your phone.

  5. Show that you value testimonials in your business.  Make sure you promote all third party endorsements including awards, testimonials, reviews by including them on all your marketing materials including website, social media, brochures and posters.

I have enjoyed great success for my clients by including testimonials as part of a wider market research project to identify their most profitable segment of the mum market. It generally yields at least one hundred testimonials for them enabling them to amplify two testimonials a week for two years without repeating one.

Testimonials are definitely powerful when wanting to influence mothers. It’s critical that your business invests in developing an effective testimonial strategy.

This strategy will make it easy for mothers to source third-party endorsements to ensure your product or service features in their consideration set.

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