Influencer Marketing: 5 things I've learned about marketing to parents

I’ve been doing influencer marketing in some form since starting in the industry over 10 years ago. I have had the privilege of working with some incredible brands – quite a few who see parents as their main target audience. So I have learned a few things in a decade. Here are 5 things I have learned about influencer marketing when trying to market to parents.

Make sure the influencer’s audience is a good match

An influencer marketing strategy is really meant to amplify your message to a broader section of your target audience. If you’re trying to work with influencers whose audiences don’t match yours, you’re wasting your time. And, honestly, I would question an influencer’s motives if they willingly work with brands who don’t seem to fit their audience. Parents will respond best to influencers who they already feel connected to.

Avoid fails or deal with them quickly

While influencer fails can be hilarious (see our blog here for some doozies!), it’s not so great when you are in the middle of it with a brand campaign. Years ago, I worked with a baby brand where we got the product in the hands of influencers and the content started rolling in on social. It was great! And then we saw an influencer using the product incorrectly, which was a huge safety hazard to the baby. In the end, we had the influencer remove the video, which was disappointing, but necessary. Sometimes influencers don’t realize the power they have over consumers.

Don’t dictate how they should create content

Part of the beauty of working with influencers and content creators is that they are masters in their craft. Even if they are just starting out, they take the time to create incredible content. They are creative people and they know what resonates with their audience. Don’t stifle that creativity. It’s OK to send through messaging and broad guidelines, but micromanaging your influencers will result in a campaign that’s not only less diverse when it comes to content, but also just not as successful.

Don’t forget about small influencers

I’ve said it before and I will continue to say it. Micro influencers – influencers with under 50,000 followers often have the best engagement rates. The lower the follower count and you’ll find that they almost KNOW their followers personally. While content creators like Sarah Landry do a great job of interacting with their followers, I have seen very successful campaigns run working with influencers who have around 2,000 followers each. It can feel very personal. Of all the campaigns I have run with parenting influencers, I am always blown away by the conversations micro influencers have on their posts.

Make it an experience

Even if you are just sending out product, make it a brand experience to remember. There are lot of larger brands who have invested in fancy packaging to create the wow factor. If that’s not in your budget, think of other ways you can build that experience. For one campaign I did a couple of years ago, we were doing an online webinar on pediatric pain in partnership with another organization. SongBird sent out little care packages to a targeted group of influencers that had product and other goodies in it. We sent through superhero capes for the kids, a spa mask for the moms, and even a little snack for the webinar from a local chocolatier. Not only was it fun, it also created multiple opportunities for content creation so each influencer could approach it in their own way.

I could go on, but these are a few of the top things I have learned in the past decade working with influencers and content creators to connect with parents. Wondering how you can connect with parents as part of your marketing? Book a free 20-minute consultation to see if we can help you out!