I love surveys, data and statistics that turn opinions and emotions in to concrete, quantifiable numbers. Whether it’s for social media conferences we host, the dozens I attend each year or at the request of a client, survey data bring it all together. That’s why I’m pleased to see this recent report by Kelby Carr of Type-A Parent, “Parent Bloggers Mean Business.” It’s refreshing to see more validation of what we know about moms who blog, the blogosphere, and particularly what we have been telling brands for a long time.
Where Does Money Come From? The majority of moms, 70%, say that sponsored posts from brands or agencies are a source of income, while 40% serve as brand ambassadors to earn money. Smaller numbers have an income source as public speakers (15%) and through book deals (7%).
Making A Deposit. Whether it’s a sponsored post or as a spokesperson for a brand, the monthly earnings moms report for each category is still relatively low but is steadily climbing. In Kelby’s survey, about 45% of moms say they make $250 or less each month while 15% earn between $251 and $500. The good news is that these numbers are rising as moms learn to put a fair value on their time and talents. Slightly over 10% of moms say they earn from $1,001 to $2,500 each month. From personal stories, I know many moms who started blogging as a hobby and now having successful businesses. What I also know from these moms is that everyone defines success differently, and what is small change to one mom may be a boon to another, even if it’s a few extra dollars each month for diapers.
Blogging Is Not New. Three out of four moms have been blogging for a minimum of three years and one-third has been posting for six years or longer. That’s considered a veteran in today’s fast-paced world of technology.
What’s In a Job Title? The majority of moms, 67%, either don’t use the term “mommy blogger” to describe their jobs or seriously dislike the term.
As I wrote about in a previous Engage:Moms post, most women who happen to be moms and own a blog do not want to be called “mommy blogger.” These women prefer a title like writer, freelancer, social media consultant, even blogger. I prefer “social media influencer,” which is more encompassing as most moms now have Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social media sites in addition to a blog.
Did you Pin It or Tweet It? Social media sites, especially Pinterest and Twitter, are incredibly popular with moms. I repeat myself often with this one. Moms love sharing on social media. Blogs are a way to express views on parenting, product reviews, food and travel, to name the most popular topics on blogs. However, moms in this survey responded that they had the most followers on Pinterest (an average 14,331 followers), Twitter (3,003 followers) and Facebook (4,677 fans).
