Six Tips for Marketing to Parents
Lan Nguyen
05/22/08 - 12:27 PM EDT
In 2004, Andrew Erlichson and Mark Heinrich launched Phanfare.com after
being disappointed with the photography Web sites they came across.
Phanfare.com, a fee-based site, would focus on sharing rather than
selling prints and also video sharing.
The business
grew, but expanded beyond the originally intended audience: families. So
in 2007, Phanfare.com retooled itself. It not only became free, but again became family-centric.
"We wanted to draw a bigger canvas and have a bigger impact," explains
CEO Erlichson. "Social networking is a lot more collaborative and
private. Based on that, we restructured and changed it to be a social
network for families. But unlike MySpace, it's attuned to the privacy of
parents and families."
But how does Phanfare, or any company, reach that audience? Here are some
things to keep in mind when marketing to parents:
Make Use of the Internet
Today's parents grew up with computers and are more likely to get their
information online than through a book or magazine. Says Amy Stevens,
CEO of Marketing Edge Ventures (marketingedgeventures.com), "Gen X is
very different. Technology is completely a part of their lives. If you
don't have a Web site, they won't buy from you."
So devote some start-up costs to developing a Web site that is useful
and informational. Also consider making the site interactive, says
author of
Street-Smart Advertising Margo Berman. Perhaps ask customers
to submit their own commercials, like Dove did. Or start a blog or a
newsletter. Berman says that companies like Constantcontact.com help
owners keep in contact with customers by email and e-survey for just $15
a month.
Don't Discount Word of Mouth
Nothing is stronger than getting the seal of approval from a parent. A
blogging parent would be ideal. "A link on five blogs can give you more
visibility than money spent on advertising," says Florence Rolando,
co-founder and managing partner of
Bubble Kids Trade Show.
Publicize your product or company with friends
on social networking sites like Facebook.com or LinkedIn.com. "I got
several clients when I did it," says Laura Betterly, founder of
Yada
Yada Marketing. "These social networks extend
that word of mouth. And it's free."
E-Retailing Is Your Friend
Between the kids and the career, parents simply don't have weekends
devoted to shopping. Many open their wallets late at night online. So if
you can afford it, add an e-retailing component to your Web site.
Include Dads
Unlike dads of the past, today's men take an active part in parenting
decisions. So don't talk down to them or portray them as inattentive. "I
remember reading that dads will especially do a ton of research on the
gear end of things," says Urbanbaby.com Associate Editor Brooke Showell.
Give Them What They Want
So what's important to parents nowadays? Lifestyle issues like products
made with natural and sustainable materials, being organic and being
healthy, says Showell. Betterly says helping parents save time is a
must. Phanfare learned, after surveying its core audience, that
security, long-term storage and giving customers the ability to add
comments and have friends add to the albums were paramount.
"We also
created a group feature which allows you to be connected with
individuals in a way that doesn't give them access to all of your
content," says Matthew Solomon, vice president of marketing. "It could
be with parents at the day care center or a kid's softball team. But
they wouldn't see your kids in the Bahamas."
Form and Function
How a product looks is just as important as what it is and how it can
help, say the experts. When popular parenting Web site Urbanbaby.com
scouts out new companies to feature, it is especially interested in
design. "Our readers are smart and sophisticated in terms of their
taste," says Showell.
"Design is always a key factor for us. It also has
to serve a purpose and be of high quality. Our readers want top quality
but don't want to be taken advantage of on price."
Rolando agrees, adding, "The boundaries between a kid's world and the
parent's world is blurring. Today you find the same music in a father's
iPod as in his teenager's. So parents are interested in things for their
kids that appeal to them. They want a stroller or a high chair that will
match their car or living room."
Got a story idea? Email Lan.thestreet@hotmail.com.
