DECEMBER <strong>2009</strong> | UNITED.COM 64 industry With some sites boasting 500,000 readers a month, these bloggers have become coveted corporate mouthpieces, showered in everything from onesies and granola bars to strollers and video game consoles. That’s not to say every mom blogger has sold out to big business. At this point, conservative estimates place the number of mom and dad bloggers in the millions—and most of them still post about the agonies of potty training and sleep, or lack thereof. But it’s not so much their content as their prospective audiences that have made corporate America take notice. “Moms control about 2.1 trillion dollars in the United States,” says Maria Bailey, whose marketing and consulting fi rm BSM Media specializes in marketing to mothers, “and about eighty-six percent of all household income.” More important, the blogs are incredibly infl uential. “One of the appeals for companies working with bloggers is that it is not advertising,” says Greg Allen, the dad behind Daddy Types, a smart site for new fathers that boasts just under 250,000 unique visitors each month and eschews paid posts. “It undercuts all the suspiciousness about ads because it is ‘real people’ talking about ‘real things.’” MOTHER’S LITTLE HELPERS A few of the best—and most trustworthy— mommy blogs COOLMOMPICS.COM Kirsten Chase and Liz Gumbinher bring a witty style and real integrity to their posts about indie designers. “Initially, we were blogging because we enjoyed the community aspect of it and the feedback, and a lot of us wrote to feel less alone,” says Heather Armstrong of Dooce (a relative oldtimer, having blogged the better part of the last decade). With nearly a half-million unique visitors a month, the site carries ads from Verizon and Starbucks and earns enough to support Armstrong’s family. “Public relations reps are now reaching out to women saying ‘talk about this’ and ‘link to this,’ and the bloggers fi gure, ‘Oh, my God. They think I’m important!’ not realizing they are giving away free advertising,” she says. Armstrong keeps advertising and editorial content separate, but not everyone colors within those careful ethical lines. Take Amy Clark, who launched MomAdvice almost six years ago. At fi rst she focused on her own family’s techniques for “living well, on less.” Her blog brought in a slew of readers. That’s when Walmart came knocking. “They want moms who live those values,” she says of being frugal, adding, “I only accept campaigns that fi t with my audience.” She became one of Walmart’s ElevenMoms—mothers who’ve agreed to endorse Walmart and blog on the company’s website (the Heather Armstrong, listed by Forbes as one of America’s top 50 women in media, offers unadulterated musings on motherhood. Launched by Greg Allen, a hipster techie with an eye for design, DaddyTypes brings a guy’s eye to the world of baby goods. number is now well above the initial 11). Clark has also worked with Pantene, the shampoo company, on a challenge to see if home hair can look as good as salon hair, and she’s a spokeswoman for Cascade. But back on her blog, stories are still true to her initial intent: family life on the cheap. “I only want really good-quality content for my readers,” she says. “As long as you’re authentic and you have integrity and aren’t just out to get a freebie, your readers will know that.” At MommyGoggles, the FAQ page issues requests for sponsorships, conference invites, free family trips and other gimmes. “I put a LOT of energy and thought into my posts,” the author promises corporations seeking reviews DOOCE.COM DADDYTYPES.COM SUBURBANBLISS.COM NOTESFROMTHE Detroit mom blogger Melissa Summers launched an online frenzy when she admitted to having a glass of wine during playdates. TRENCHES.COM Chris Jordan has won several awards for her blog about her kids—all seven of them.
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