According to the National Retail Federation Mother’s Day in the United States is almost a $24 Billion business. However, most brands miss the mark with their advertising and marketing because they neglect marketing to mothers and focus their efforts on dads. According to BSM Media, the premier Marketing to Moms agency, eighty-six percent of mothers purchase at least one gift for another mom for Mother’s Day. In anticipation of Mother’s Day, BSM Media surveyed over 800 mothers on their giving and receiving behaviors around Mother’s Day. You might be surprised by what they told us. Whether your target market is Millennial Moms or Boomer Grandmothers, these 4 tips are certain to increase your bottom line.

Don’t forget moms are buying Mother’s Day gifts too!

Many marketers focus on marketing to dads as the sole purchaser for Mother’s Day, but research shows that moms are the largest consumers of gifts and cards for this holiday. It’s not too late to refocus your digital content and social media on moms by engaging micro-influencers like mom bloggers or social media moms. Encourage these influential mothers to post photos of your product and suggest it as a great gift moms can buy for besties, extended family, and her own mother.

Use Pinterest to get her attention.

Not only do millennials love Pinterest for fashion trends and event planning, but they also use this social outlet for creative and original gift ideas. Seventy percent of moms pointed to Pinterest as their go-to resource for gift ideas. To make it even easier for you, we’ve compiled a list of the most commonly searched terms she’s using on Pinterest to find the perfect Mother’s Day gift. Posting branded photos linking to your site is a simple way to put the digital spotlight on your products.

Promote new ways to create clever gifts with your product.

Mothers love handmade gifts, and todays’ DIY enthusiasts like to turn everyday items into something original and customized. Brands like Nouno’s Greek Yogurt and Duck Tape have reaped the benefits of this by demonstrating new ways to use their products. Recently, BSM Media engaged millennial mom influencers to create original and fun Easter baskets with Mayka Tape and generated over 1 million views of the DIY project driving sales ultimately to Walmart. Millennial moms in particular love to discover new ways to use old products that they love already.

Promote product reviews.

Reviews. Reviews. Reviews. These are one of the most important marketing tools for any company.  Millennial moms live by reviews. According to “Millennial Moms: 202 Facts Marketers Need to Know to Build Brands and Drive Sales” by Maria Bailey, almost every millennial mom reads a review before purchasing a product. Make sure your brand reviews are authentic and numerous during key buying seasons like Mother’s Day, graduation, and Father’s Day. Remind your existing customers to leave a review when they purchase your product online, and always respond to any negative reviews.

Mother’s Day is just the start to a very busy gift buying season. Stay on top of your Marketing to Mom insights and influencer marketing opportunities by visiting www.MarketingToMoms.com. To learn how BSM Media can help drive sales for your product, contact Meganbailey@bsmmedia.com.

BSM Media, Inc. is an award-winning and internationally recognized Marketing to Moms agency specializing in influencer engagement and outreach programs. Their MommyParties, and Social Spotters, services are proven activation tactics used by Fortune 100 to Start Up companies. BSM Media also owns and operates MillennialInfluencers.com and GenZInfluencers.com which connects brands to Millennial Influencers and Gen Z Influencers.

Maria Bailey is the CEO of BSM Media and the author of “Marketing to Mom: Getting Your Share of the Trillion Dollar Market”, “Power Moms” and “Millennial Moms: 202 Facts Marketers Need to Know to Build Brands and Drive Sales.”  She is a frequent keynote speaker and media expert. Learn more about Maria Bailey at www.MariaBailey.com.

I’ve always been a risk taker. I guess when you grow up the oldest of 11 children, you have to learn to live outside the box or not get noticed by your siblings. Perhaps I also learned at a young age, the bigger the challenge, the greater the feeling of fulfillment. Regardless of the reason, I can remember leaving a six-figure salary with a Fortune 100 company with three children under the age of two to start my own company and wondering if this time, I may have pushed the envelope a bit too far.

I remember clearly standing in a meeting at Coca-Cola headquarters pitching the importance of the mom market and having a brand manager balk at the thought of targeting mothers with his marketing dollars. I remember not collecting a paycheck for over one year. However, I also remember Microsoft being my first client and the night the Chief Marketing Officer of Disney called my house after reading my book, “Marketing to Moms” and invited me to speak to his global marketing group in Paris.

Seven books later, I sit in awe that the company I built will be recognized by Florida State University this weekend. The same FSU that put me on academic probation because I barely passed Organic Chemistry. By the way, taking Organic Chemistry, Calculus and Genetics in the same semester was too much risk-taking even for this science nerd! I am honored beyond the words I can type here. I am also very humbled because there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people who earned this award with me; clients who trusted me, friends who picked up my kids from school, teammates who worked late, vendors who pulled off miracles, Delta Airlines who flew me 1 million miles to meetings and, of course, my family who cheered me on when times were good and even more when they were bad.

You can’t earn a spot on a list of “fastest-growing” companies without the help of others. I am truly blessed with the support of so many. The journey of BSM Media is only beginning although it’s been in motion for more than 20 years. The press release below highlights some of our accomplishments and milestones.

Saturday night I will proudly accept this award with you in mind.

Humbly,

Maria Bailey

BSM Media Makes Seminole 100 As Fastest-Growing Alumni-Owned Company

Marketing to Moms Agency Recognized by FSU

February 8, 2018 – Pompano Beach, FL – BSM Media, the premier Marketing to Moms agency, has been named in the Seminole 100, a list honoring the 100 fastest-growing U.S. businesses owned by Florida State University (FSU) graduates. Maria Bailey, CEO of BSM Media and FSU alumna, will be honored at the inaugural celebration recognizing the fastest-growing businesses.  “We were the first agency to identify Mothers as an important consumer group and there were many doubters that we could build a business while focusing on such a narrow niche. I’m honored that our hard work and determination is being recognized.”

Bailey graduated from Florida State in 1986 with a degree in biology and began her career in her home city of Fort Lauderdale. As a working mother of four children, Bailey recognized an opportunity to help companies market to moms. In 1999, Maria quit her job and opened the doors to BSM Media in a small office with only two employees. In response to the success of BSM Media, Bailey quantified the purchasing power of U.S. mothers in her groundbreaking book, Trillion Dollar Moms: Marketing to a New Generation of Mothers, along with seven subsequent books highlighting trends and tactics for marketing to moms. Bailey’s latest book, Millennial Moms: 202 Facts Marketers Need to Know to Build Brands and Drive Sales (Wyatt-MacKenzie, 2015), was the spark that ignited BSM Media’s growth, earning the company a spot in the Seminole 100.

Today, Bailey and her team serve regional, national, and global brands by using research tactics, experiential marketing techniques, and the ever-growing world of social media to connect moms with the brands who want to reach them. Bailey takes pride in empowering moms as entrepreneurs who work with brands through blogs and social media.

Over 20 years, Bailey has grown BSM Media to a team of business and marketing professionals who provide turnkey, unique social media, marketing, and public relations services to brands including HP, Chick-fil-A, and Florida Atlantic University. “It’s your job to bring my vision to life,” Bailey often says to her team, referring to her mission to represent woman-owned businesses in a positive light by paving a path for success through creativity, innovation and research. Her business today includes multiple media entities as well as several product lines all built to connect with today’s moms. Mom Talk Radio, which Bailey hosts, is the only nationally syndicated radio show for moms, MomTV.com is a video community where moms engage with brands and products through video and BlueSuitMom.com, a resource for working mothers. Bailey also holds an interest in Premama, a supplement and nutrition company which serves easy-to-swallow supplements for expectant and new moms and Smart Mom Solutions, a line of paper products for busy mothers.

BSM Media has created, produced and contributed to some of the most recognized Mom Marketing campaigns and events such as Huggies MomInspired Program, Disney Social Media Moms Celebration, Disney on the Road Events, Beaches Social Media on the Sand, National Mom’s Nite Out, HP MyPrintlys and the Chick fil A Mom’s Panel. They currently maintain a relationship with over 15,000 social media mom influencers and generate an average of 100 million online impressions for their clients each year.

See seminole100.fsu.edu for more details and the full list of 2018 honorees.

About BSM Media

BSM Media is a full-service, integrated marketing and media company specializing in connecting moms and their families with products and services. For additional information about Maria Bailey or BSM Media, visit, www.bsmmedia.com.

Easter is April 1^st and that’s no April Fool’s joke. Americans will buy an estimated $18 billion in Easter basket items, a number that will meet last year’s record spend according to the National Retail Federation. Much of that purchasing power is controlled by mothers. BSM Media, the premier Marketing to Moms agency, recently surveyed 1,100 moms across the U.S. to uncover their spending habits around Easter and how brands can capture their spending. What we learned is this: Moms find it fun to create Easter baskets and anticipate buying enough toys, clothes, books and food to fill an average of five baskets this year.

With just 30 days left to capture Moms’ spending, BSM Media put together five tips to increase your share of Easter sales this year.

1. Expand your marketing beyond toys and chocolate bunnies.
   Eighty-five percent of moms say there is no age limit for giving Easter baskets. In fact, 73% of mothers continue to make Easter baskets for their child regardless of age or life stage. Easter gift-giving goes beyond the children in the family. Thirty-four percent of mothers buy Easter gifts for nieces and nephews with another 29% including spouses in the gifting fun. For brands, this means Easter can be lucrative by suggesting their products for the Easter basket whether it’s a bottle of wine or electric tool. Read on for tips on how to do this.
2. Launch your Easter marketing tactics today.
   Unlike Christmas, moms don’t ask their children or gift recipients for a wish list and they DO NOT wait until the last minute. Fifty-seven percent of moms complete their Easter shopping by March 1^st and 96% will have it done by March 26^th. This means that if your company wants to capture some of mom’s spending, it’s imperative to be out there, speaking with them now.

3. Provide Mom with creative ideas on how to integrate your product with Easter activities.
   The majority of moms surveyed don’t purchase pre-packaged Easter baskets. Even with their busy schedules and the juggle of family life, Moms enjoy the fun of being creative with Easter baskets and gifts. More than 90% of moms will include at least one toy in their baskets and expect to spend at least $8-$10 on each one. Fifty-two percent of mothers surveyed confessed to spending up to $50 on each Easter basket although 89% will seek out deals and offers.
4. Use Facebook to get Mom’s attention.
   Moms like to be creative with Easter baskets and they find inspiration and ideas on Facebook. Fast-format videos are a great way to quickly provide moms with the inspiration they are seeking in a place where they are looking. Here’s an example of a fast-form video created by BSM Media using their social media influencers. Contact MeganBailey@bsmmedia.com to learn how BSM Media can create product videos for you.

5. Engage with Moms on Instagram
   Moms get their inspiration from a variety of online destinations and right behind Facebook is Instagram. Forty-two percent of moms go to Instagram for Easter inspiration so it’s important to offer ideas that include your product. Marketers can inspire and engage with peer images; Easter baskets assembled with your product or creative gift packaging for the holiday. Here’s an example of Instagram photos that highlight products that are well positioned for Easter.
   Easter season is a great time to increase sales or introduce new products before summer starts. It’s not too late to take advantage of the opportunities of Easter. Visit www.bsmmedia.com for more ideas, insights and opportunities with BSM Media.

Mothers spend in excess of $3.1 trillion in the US economy each year according to research by BSM Media and Department of Agriculture data. It’s likely that this spending power will exceed $3.5 trillion in 2018. How will you capture a part of Mom’s wallet this year?

You could continue doing what you did in 2017, however you will likely achieve only what you achieved in 2017. If you want to up your marketing game, maximize your return on investment and increase your engagement with mom influencers, your marketing tactics must evolve with the times and technology. To help you identify new ways to gain new customers, sales and profits, I’ve assembled a short list of marketing tactics you might consider executing to capture your share of this trillion dollar consumer group. These are tactics based on trends, consumer behaviors and tested campaigns.

Interact with Moms via Live Streams and Virtual Events

Moms love to gather together to commiserate about homework overload, Instapot recipes, business tools and new technology. It may include coffee, wine or water. More and more, it’s happening online. Social media platforms such as Facebook Live and Instagram Stories now allow moms to gather and exchange ideas no matter where they are during the day. Cindy Simmons, Surviving Mommy, attracts over 2,000 moms each Wednesday for her Coffee Convo, streamed live from her Facebook page. Moms chat, win prizes and laugh while Cindy entertains with family stories, product demonstrations and food for thought that only a mother can appreciate. As a marketer, it would be so 2017 to engage with Cindy only through her blog. For a more effective 2018 strategy, Cindy would produce content not only for her blog but also for her Coffee Convo. In another example, Chick-fil-A has effectively used online virtual events to engage with Moms while promoting their Kid’s Meal products. Last Fall, they introduced their Q Wunder toy to moms by hosting a live event where moms could interact with Sofia Dickens, the founder of EQtainment. The one-hour virtual event produced more than 2 million online impressions.

Chick-fil-A Live Event featuring Sofia Dickens, founder of EQtainment

Put Social Spotters in the Aisle and Your Product on Instagram

You’re asking, “What’s a Social Spotter?” It’s a mom influencer with at least 500 followers on Instagram, many of whom are also bloggers, YouTubers and Facebookers. They like to discover new products, and more importantly, they enjoy sharing via Instagram and other social media platforms. BSM Media has formalized a network of Social Spotters who find your products in retail locations and post photos to their Instagram accounts. It’s an easy and effective way to get your product featured on Instagram while allowing moms to see it on the shelves in Target, Walmart, Walgreens and local boutiques. A typical Social Spotters program engaging 100 Social Spotters produces more than 1 million impressions.

Examples of posts from Social Spotters

Engage Her Mini-Me

The next big marketing target will soon be Gen Z! Yes, the children of today’s mothers. Many Mom bloggers are expanding their offering to include leveraging the social media outlets of their Gen Z children. Recently, BSM Media partnered with the social media Gen Z influencers of Danielle Smith (PrettyOrdinary.com), Colleen Padilla (ClassyMommy.com) and Natasha Durst (SuperCouponLady.com). These young influencers produce great review videos and bring a whole new audience to your brand. Combining the efforts of Social Media Mom Influencers and their Gen Z offspring can increase your ROI and drive higher sales for 2018.

Examples of posts from Gen Z influencers

The mom market will continue to present a lucrative consumer base for brands. With the right strategy and marketing tactics, companies can realize increased profits for 2018. BSM Media stands ready to help. Contact us for insights, proposals or just to chat about the potential of the mom market. Email MeganBailey@bsmmedia.com or Maria@bsmmedia.com.

Happy New Year!

If current tuition rates are any indication, college and university recruitment is big business. Competition is high as enrollment numbers continue an upward trend year over year to the latest number of 20.5 million students in fall 2016, according to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

Whether your brand offers products for students or you are part of a marketing team at a college or university, recent research by BSM Media offers valuable insights on engaging with student populations and decision makers. BSM Media’s unique programs leverage relationships and opportunities for this segment of moms and their college-bound children.

The Big Shop

– Moms and their college-bound students start shopping for dorm and apartment décor as soon as the acceptance letter is opened. Social Spotters (link) “shelfies” highlight dorm room essentials on store shelves that are shared on social media sites of moms and their GenZ coeds

– On average, families spend $800 each on outfitting a new college living space

– Parents say they spend almost $500 on the actual move-in day(s), from road trip fuel or airline tickets to the hotel stay

Moms of College-Bound Students

– 56% share the college selection decision with their children; another 10% make the ultimate choice

– 60% suggest colleges to her child during college search

– 25% of moms begin the college search process with her child in the 1^st semester of high school, another 20% start in the summer between sophomore and junior years

– 80% of moms follow their child’s college Facebook page

– 20% use CollegeBoard.org and other search sites; 19% use search engines such as Google and Yahoo!

Tactics for Colleges and Universities

– Distribute “How-To Apply” digital content, such as “How To Write A College Essay”. The team at BSM Media will create relevant, engaging social media content for your audience.

– Search social media for moms in the college search process and engage with relevant content or comments

– Live Stream events on campus such as orientation, spirit days and exam prep

– YouTube, YouTube, YouTube; post videos on the second most popular search platform after Google. Video is king, and BSM Media has the tools and expertise to produce valuable YouTube content.

Contact us today to learn how BSM Media can help your brand reach moms and their college-bound children.

While most moms are focused on summer vacations, marketers should be preparing for their holiday sales purchases. The holiday season begins in just a few short months and with new sales comes the need for new marketing tactics. The team at BSM Media is committed to empowering marketing professionals with the tools to meet your holiday sales goals. Here are five of the outreach programs we’ve tested and proven during 2017.

Retail Social Spotters: Moms purchase at the recommendation of other moms on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram. Brands reap the benefits of increased sales when they make it easy not only to find the perfect gift, but also go the extra step to show them where to buy it. Social Spotters are social media influencers who post product pictures from the aisle of retailers, from WalMart to small boutiques. Not only do they promote products to their friends and family, they show the products on the shelves. All of this valuable content can be reposted on the brand’s social media. To learn more about Social Spotters, you can visit www.socialspotters.com.

Review Videos: It’s a fact – 90% of all moms in a BSM Media survey say they consult reviews prior to buying products online or in a store. Millennial moms in particular choose video reviews as their primary source of information. Brands need to have the content that moms need, when and where they want it. Reviews done by moms like themselves are best and should be no longer than 3 minutes. For toys and products aimed at children less than 17, we encourage clients to post review videos done by their peers on www.kidzvuz.com.

Amazon Content: Brands know the importance of Amazon reviews but few are thrilled with the number of ratings they receive from buyers. BSM Media can help with this frustration through our exclusive partnership as a content provider to Amazon. Below you will read more about our Amazon Review Video program. Last holiday season, many of our product videos receive thousands of views by potential buyers. Reports indicate that sales rise if a consumer watches a review video while shopping online. BSM Media and our social media influencer vloggers stand ready to produce videos for you with distribution on MomTV.com and Amazon.com.

Surprise and Delight Moments: We credit Chick-fil-A for this philosophy of marketing. After all, who doesn’t like a fun, meaningful surprise? A surprise and delight moment might be sending a toy sample to a mom influencer who has a child having a birthday at the time she receives the sample, or a sample is sent on her behalf to her favorite charity.   Meaningful interactions with moms that are unexpected create loyalty and praise on social media.

Short-form videos: Moms are busy. Creating short-form videos that communicate your message quickly will hit a homerun this holiday season. If you are a food product, show moms how to make the perfect edible gift. If you are a product that doubles as part of a craft, show them the ideas in video form. Identify crafty or DIY influencers to help you product these fast and fun communication tools that will resonate with moms.

Holiday 2017 will be here sooner than we think. BSM Media is ready to help you exceed your sales goals. Email Laura@bsmmedia.com to obtain a proposal for your holiday marketing plan.

Retail Shelfies Expose the Best of Influencer Marketing on Instagram

Your product has finally hit the shelves of Target, Walmart, CVS or other retailers. After months spent in development, packaging and buyer meetings, you’re faced with the biggest challenge yet; driving consumers to stores to buy your product. Meet BSM Media’s Social Spotters, a diverse network of social influencers who seek out a brand’s product on the shelf and post a selfie with the product on Instagram, ultimately creating the “Retail Shelfie.” BSM Media’s Social Spotters network is made up of moms, dads, Millennials, and Gen Z influencers!

“Retail Shelfies” are successful for many reasons:

• Brands engage with top Instagrammers AND promote the retail locations that carry the product
• Social Spotters programs can be customized to geographic markets across the U.S.
• Brands can select influencers by demographic profile
• Social Spotters programs can be targeted to a specific retailer or retailers
• Brands also see how their product is displayed on store shelves.

BSM Media has launched dozens of Social Spotter campaigns over recent months producing exceptional results for brands representing everything from toys to foods to electronics. A typical campaign can produce more than 500,000 social media impressions on Instagram and other social media platforms.

To learn more about Social Spotters, email ElizaBeth@bsmmedia.com or visit www.socialspotters.com.