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The Motherhood Rebrand

The Motherhood Rebrand

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As you might have noticed, things look a little different around here! The Motherhood is thrilled to introduce a new look and feel for our website and brand.

When our agency was born in 2006, mom influencers and parenting campaigns were our primary focus. Since then, we’ve grown to include many campaign categories and influencer verticals: We currently work with clients in a broad variety of fields like health, finance, fashion, food — just to name a few. And our influencers now represent categories beyond moms, including millennials, technology, finance, fashion, beauty and food.

Through the last decade, our company has also developed a unique approach to influencer marketing. In a world of automated platforms and technology, The Motherhood stands out by building human connections for the benefit of everyone involved. For example, we hand-select and personally invite influencers for each campaign. We believe there is no one-size-fits-all campaign, and each campaign is customized specifically for our clients.

Following all of that experience and evolution, it seemed like the perfect time to freshen up our branding to better reflect our work and process. Thank you to local Pittsburgh company Top Hat for helping us pull our ideas, beliefs and style into a new logo and website!

 

We are excited to share all of the changes here at The Motherhood and look forward to continuing our successes on behalf of clients and influencers through the rest of the year.

Influencer Spotlight: Michelle, Modern Mom Life

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Top influencer Michelle with Modern Mom Life has been blogging for seven years and counting. She’s worked hard to build a community of – and for – moms who want ideas around family entertainment, travel, recipes, DIY projects, events and how to juggle it all! We love her can-do attitude and how she puts a modern spin on everything she touches. That’s why Michelle is our September Influencer Spotlight! Check out our Q&A with her below and get to know the woman behind Modern Mom Life.

Tell us why you blog.
I blog because I love to write, share stories and connect with others.

What content do you feel your readers find most valuable?
 My readers love when I share personal experiences. They also react to content that solves a problem, makes their lives easier or lifestyle hacks that make them look and feel their best.

Where do you see the most engagement with your content?
 I see the most engagement when I am vulnerable with my writing. Anytime I bare my soul and write in an authentic manner, the comments, likes and shares usually follow. Coming in a close second are cooking videos because people love to eat!

What’s the #1 question you’re asked by your readers, and what’s your answer?
 I get asked a lot how I am able to juggle everything. My answer is “I don’t.” I remind them they only see a segment of my real life and that I have struggles and challenges just like everyone else. What has helped me this year with balance is prioritizing my life. Saying “yes” to things I really want to do that bring me joy while saying “no, thank you” to other things.

What’s the #1 question you’re asked by brands, and what’s your answer?
 What unique things can your blog offer? I answer that I am able to provide a variety of ways to share their story. I am dedicated to my craft and willing to learn new strategies when algorithms change our go-to methods. My storytelling connects to my readers in a way that sparks engagement. It’s a win-win for both my audience and the brand when it’s a great fit!

2018 is the year of: _____.
 My word for the year is “Release.” Release as in letting go of what others think about my work, life or choices. Releasing negativity and naysayers. Eliminating the idea of perfectionism and giving myself grace during this busy season of motherhood and entrepreneurship. I want to have more fun and less stress. As a result, I believe this attitude will produce better writing and content creation on my end.

What are brands doing right when working with bloggers?
 Brands that allow bloggers to use their authentic voices to spread the word about their product or service are doing it right. When they do this, bloggers are able to let their creativity spark and make a more compelling piece that people actually want to read. It comes across as real and less robotic.

Favorite program you’ve done with The Motherhood?
 That’s a hard question because there’s been so many great ones! Interviewing Angela Santomero, creator of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, was surreal. I enjoyed getting to know her story and how Daniel Tiger and Blue’s Clues came to be.

Coming in second would have to be Mayfield Creamery’s Baseball and Ice Cream opportunity. Who doesn’t love America’s favorite pastime and ice cream?

Who is your mentor?
 I don’t have one mentor per se, but do have amazing people that inspire, support and motivate me to do my best. They lift me up when I am down. While some of these mentors are bloggers, many are not. I think it’s important to have a good balance of friends, colleagues and family members who can support your dreams but also bring you back down to Earth in certain instances. I am forever thankful for those bloggers who helped a newbie in the beginning and were open with their knowledge. I hope to be that mentor to others who are first starting out in this industry.

How do you organize your day?
 Full disclosure: I don’t! I wish I could tell you that I have a strict schedule I follow, but I really don’t right now. This is a goal of mine to tackle once my son is in preschool. I seem to think I thrive on chaos most days and somehow the work always gets done. Most days, I write early in the morning, answer emails and shoot photos during the day. Later, in the wee hours of the night, I schedule out social posts, pitch brands and tend to my ever-growing inbox. Batch working, to-do lists and writing out my intentions for the week help keep me focused and productive.

Michelle, Modern Mom Life

More about The Motherhood’s Influencer Spotlight Series
Each month, our internal team convenes and discusses our latest programs, stellar partnerships and top influencers. It’s not about numbers, but rather, the quality, authentic content they’re delivering consistently. It’s about reliability, professionalism and partnership. We discuss our nominations for the month and ultimately decide on just one blogger to feature.

Take a look at our most recent featured influencer here, and stop by in October for the next Influencer Spotlight!

Manage Time on Facebook and Instagram with New Tools

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Social media has become synonymous with the digital age and connectivity. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat and other social platforms were devised to bring communities closer together, to bring users closer to other people and their interests. However, in the past few years, overuse of social media has been criticized, and even linked to depression. These criticisms were perhaps the impetus behind the new tools that allow users to manage time on Facebook and Instagram.

These features, called “Your time on Facebook” and “Your activity” on Instagram, encourage users to set daily limits for time spent on the platforms, as well as offering the ability to mute their push notifications.

According to The Verge, they are “designed to address concerns that addictive feedback loops built into social apps have been detrimental to users’ well-being.”

Knowing how aggressively social media platforms encourage their users to spend time on their sites and apps, the move may seem contradictory to their business model and ultimately, lead to lower usage of the platforms. However, Ameet Ranadive of Instagram made the point that “it’s really important for people that use Instagram and Facebook to feel like the time that they spend with us is time well spent. That’s the whole purpose of this release.”

“We want to empower people to make intentional decisions about how much time they spend, and how they want to engage with the app,” he said. “There may be some trade-off with other metrics for the company. That’s a trade-off that we’re willing to live with. In the long run this is something that’s important for the community, and something we want to invest in.”

Learn more about how you can utilize the tools they’ve introduced to manage time on Facebook and Instagram here.

How do you feel about these developments? Will you be implementing these features to manage time on Facebook or Instagram? Tell us in the comments!

Influencer Spotlight: Natasha, Grits & Grace

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Natasha with Grits & Grace, a mom of two (with one on the way!), knows how hard mom-ing can be. She created a beautiful blog and community to help encourage and inspire moms through the little things. We love working with Natasha, which is why she is our August Spotlight Blogger! We recently caught up with her to get her thoughts on social media, blogging and more. Take a look!

What do you feel is the #1 trend in influencer marketing in 2018?
Video, definitely. I believe IGTV is going to change things for influencers in a good way! If you haven’t started using it, start doing so! And make sure you are doing stories as well!

What content do you feel your readers find most valuable?
My readers seem to be most responsive to our children’s book reviews or posts dealing with technology. Also, anything my husband writes! All of my top posts were written by him!

How has your blog changed since you first got started?
I have changed topics at least five times since I started blogging way back when GeoCities was a thing. I was a blogger for several music groups (Backstreet Boys, Immature, Destiny’s Child) and eventually moved to natural hair before settling into becoming a lifestyle blogger.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of starting a blog?
Go for it. The only limit there is to blogging is yourself. You decide how large or small you want you to be. We know there are thousands of bloggers already in the field, but don’t let it stop you! Every voice is different, and you’ll always find the audience that resonates with your work.

What trend or platform is on its way out?
I really think Facebook is going to be out the door soon. Because brands and consumers are becoming more visual, I don’t see it becoming as useful to bloggers as it once was. (Although, if I can be honest, I wish it was Instagram.)

What’s your greatest challenge when working with brands?
Getting them to understand that blogging is a legitimate business and that we put our heart and soul into it just as much as anyone who works outside of the home. And that we can’t control algorithms. We don’t all have the reach of the Kardashians. I think it’s time they start becoming a little more realistic in their expectations.

What’s your best blogging tip?
Never sacrifice your morals or your brand for a paycheck. It’ll come back to bite you.

Favorite program you’ve done with The Motherhood?
The Universal Music program for The Lullaby Project. I have found myself listening to the music daily, especially now that I am pregnant. My three- and five-year-olds absolutely love it as their wind down music in the evenings after dinner.

What is your proudest achievement?
I get so many messages and emails weekly from other moms who are going through a tough time and just want someone to talk to and they say that I inspire them. One of my posts, “When You’re The Mom With No Village,” reached so many women, and I am truly grateful for all of the love and support that not only I received, but that I was able to offer to others in return.

What are your three most-used emojis?
🙌🏽💅🏽😳

And they are usually always to my mom or dad!

Natasha with Grits & Grace

More about The Motherhood’s Spotlight Blogger Series
Each month, our internal team convenes and discusses our latest programs, stellar partnerships and top influencers. It’s not about numbers, but rather, the quality, authentic content they’re delivering consistently. It’s about reliability, professionalism and partnership. We discuss our nominations for the month and ultimately decide on just one blogger to feature.

Take a look at our most recent featured influencer here, and stop by in September for the next Spotlight Blogger!

Influencer Spotlight: Amanda, Old House to New Home

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Amanda with Old House to New Home is a mom of two, Spanish teacher and lifestyle blogger extraordinaire! She started her blog as an outlet to share her passion for cooking and DIY projects (and we’re so glad she did!). We interviewed Amanda to get to know her better and ask for her thoughts on the influencer marketing industry. Check our our Q&A below to learn more from the creator of Old House to New Home!

Where do you find inspiration for new blog posts?
I love searching Pinterest to see what’s trending and what other people are cooking up. I also look to my own kitchen. I often find that my most popular blog posts are always my family’s favorite recipes!

What is your favorite space to engage with your readers?
I love Insta Stories! It is so easy to interact with my readers and I feel like it gives me the chance to talk about something other than just food or décor projects!

What’s the #1 question you’re asked by your readers?
Do you really cook for your family every single night, and how?

What’s the #1 question you’re asked by brands?
What types of recipes do families really want to make and eat?

Influencer marketing is ________.
FUN! I never ever thought I would be an influencer and I absolutely love it!

What should brands start doing (better) when working with bloggers?
To be honest, offering bloggers free product and no payment for a post is unacceptable. We put so much hard work into our posts, and a box of pasta (for example) isn’t fair compensation. If you want quality work, you have to pay!

What are your thoughts on blogging conferences / are you attending any conferences this year?
I am not attending any conferences this year since we are doing a few big home projects, but I love them. I have made some of my closest friends at blogging conferences!

Favorite program you’ve done with The Motherhood?
One of my first campaigns was with DairyPure, and the Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Meatballs I made for the post are one of my favorite recipes!

What are your thoughts on affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is nice to make a few extra bucks here and there, but I haven’t been able to make a substantial amount from it! It is definitely not my strongest income stream.

What is your most productive time of day?
Depends on the time of the year! During the school year, I teach full time so I have to work on my blog at night, usually right after the kids go to bed. During the summer, I like to work in the mornings while my kids eat breakfast and watch cartoons.

Amanda, Old House to New Home

More about The Motherhood’s Spotlight Blogger Series
Each month, our internal team convenes and discusses our latest programs, stellar partnerships and top influencers. It’s not about numbers, but rather, the quality, authentic content they’re delivering consistently. It’s about reliability, professionalism and partnership. We discuss our nominations for the month and ultimately decide on just one blogger to feature.

Take a look at our most recent featured influencer here, and stop by in August for the next Spotlight Blogger!

Shopping Via Social Media: Trends and Insights on Social E-Commerce

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Do you shop via social media? In a recent Avionos survey, 55 percent of respondents said they made a purchase directly from social media within the past year. Even if you weren’t part of that crowd, you are likely closer to it than ever. Earlier this month, Instagram and Facebook both introduced features that make it easier than ever to shop on their platforms.

Instagram added shoppable content to its Stories feature for select brands, so users can now include a shopping bag icon that a user can tap to learn more, or click a link to purchase the item. Because Stories has around 300 million users, this could prove to be a popular feature for both users and brands.

According to Instagram, 60 percent of people said they discover new products on Instagram. The platform also touts that one-third of the most-viewed Stories are from businesses, which makes Stories integral to product discovery.

Similarly, Facebook added functionality for shoppers who purchased a product advertised to them on Facebook to provide feedback on their e-commerce retail experience.

With influencer marketing showing no signs of slowing down, and influencers infusing their feeds and stories with this more integrated form of advertising, it’s no wonder that social media platforms are seeking more seamless ways of directly driving conversions.

Investor Mary Meeker recently shared her 2018 Internet trends report. In it, she mentions that 55 percent of people buy a product after discovering it via social media, but only 11 percent of those purchases occur immediately (insights that align with our own research).

As these shoppable features become more sophisticated and secure, and as social media platforms gather additional insights from consumers, it will be interesting to see if this more turnkey way of making purchases will result in more immediate purchase behavior.

Tell us: do you shop via social media?