Photo Courtesy of Sweeny PR
When my news-stream on Facebook blows up with yet -another- news feature about bloggers, I take a few seconds to read the big news of the day. On this particular day it was about the Today Show segment entitled: Business of blogging: Moms turn hobbies into livelihoods.You can view the entire segment here.
A few seconds into the segment a very obvious fact was shared -one that I have been sharing at the top of my lungs for quite some time-ONLY ONE IN THREE BLOGGERS ARE MOMS.
If you can't do the math, let me break it down for you: 33% of the ENTIRE blogosphere is comprised of mom bloggers. Whereas the MAJORITY of the bloggers that exist-a quite sizable 67%-include LIFESTYLE bloggers, FOOD bloggers, TECH Bloggers, Fashion & Beauty Bloggers, Art & Culture bloggers, to name only a TINY portion of the NICHE bloggers that comprise the blogosphere.
Another obvious fact that was shared in this segment, and something -that again- I have been sharing up and down my PR & Social Media presentations is this: Mom Bloggers blog to connect with other MOMS.
Something that wasn't shared, that should have been shared is this: Not all moms that blog are "mommy" or parenting bloggers. Likewise, not all women bloggers are moms or fall in the parenting blogger category.
A quick fact, and something that I studied long and hard to say this quite confidently: Lifestyle Bloggers do not blog to connect with other bloggers, they blog, I blog, because we have a passion and (possibly) expertise about a particular subject.
So riddle me this: Why do brands, marketing and PR agencies, and now media, continue to ignore the majority of the blogging community?
Is someone like myself, married with no children, not of importance to reach out to when brands/PR or advertising agencies sit down to create their marketing plans?
I think not.
Reaching someone like myself is especially important when it comes to higher ticket items, vacations, entertainment and dining out. Whereas mom's (blogging or not) have to manage a household budget and spend their disposable income on their kids, child-free household have a disposable income to spend on "stuff" we want.
Our readers know this and follow us to find out what is hot, in, and now. Our readers do not look to us to manage their households - but to escape the mundane and live vicariously through us.
Unlike the readers of a mom or parenting blog, our readers are a unique combination of folks. We reach moms and dads, single folks, and folks that co-habitate.
Because parenting is personal and sometimes culture-driven, readers are similar to the author/blogger. Whereas readers of Lifestyle and Niche bloggers are more diverse and brought together by their unique interests.
Readers trust mom bloggers for every day items, with a speciality in kid or family products. But when it comes to spending money where they want to spend it, readers look at Lifestyle Bloggers or niche bloggers.
Period-and-end-of-story.
Reality is, I'm not alone in this analysis - and I am pretty darn tired of Lifestyle and Niche bloggers not getting the credit, and respect, we deserve.
So I ask you, Lifestyle Bloggers, Niche Bloggers and Industry folks, to give credit where credit is due. To look outside the obvious and speak about the entire blogging community, not just the minority.
And, while I'm proud that the blogging industry is growing and gaining respectability, and without a doubt mom bloggers have championed this movement, I'm absolutely sick and tired that other blogger niches continue to be ignored.
There's so much that has been done, to be proud of, in this very young industry, that by limiting who the media talks about, they're actually stumping our industry growth.
Sorry, but I plan on big things - and big things require big actions.
In this particular case: SPEAKING OUT.
Bloggers are more than moms: we are influential women and men.
P.S. I would be MORE THAN HAPPY to provide any media, marketing or brand rep with a detailed overview of WHO WE ARE and why YOU SHOULDN'T AVOID WORKING WITH US.