1. E-NEWSLETTERS: INFLUENCING BEHAVIOR AND GATHERING CONSUMER INSIGHTS
By Cynthia Nelson, COO of Todobebé
With so many marketing channels available to today’s brands, deciphering which one works
best can often be a difficult task. Over the last ten years, it’s become increasingly apparent that
moms want personalized messages that speak directly to their needs. They want to trust who is
sending the information and know that content is relevant to their needs.
We’ve discovered, through our community of more than 3 million+ moms, a sure-fire channel to
engage, enlighten and drive action is with subscriber-based electronic newsletters. But just
because you have their ear once (or, in this case, their inbox), it doesn’t mean you have their
long-standing loyalty. Below are valuable tips to finding marketing-mom success with e-
newsletters:
Knowing the Pulse of Your Consumer
Feeling and understanding the pulse of your consumer base is crucial as you work towards
building a relationship between your brand and an influential audience like moms. One way to
effectively gain insights into their behavior is by building a life-stage consumer based newsletter
that allows brands to connect directly with an important and vibrant demographic. It invites
audiences to actively participate in branded communities by sharing key research and other
findings of interest.
Establishing trust is critical to your outreach. Once a trust level is recognized, moms will tell you
more than you bargained for! In general, women are information facilitators and multi-tasking
communicators. If they like what you have to offer, inevitably they share it with their friends,
family and peers. If they don’t, they will certainly let you know.
The brands that interest moms most are the ones that directly impact their children and families.
With that in mind, the 0 to 5 segment of the market is not only an important one but one that fills
the weekly family basket. Advertisers seeking to capture new consumers who are breaking into
this space have an opportunity to influence the decisions they make: what car they drive, what
is served for dinner, what diapers they buy and overall spending habits.
Speak to Specific Needs
Segmented and targeted newsletters serve as an engaging tool and link between marketers and
their audience. The ability to leverage consumers who are already listening to you and are
engaged in your content is vital to producing a relevant sample size and reliable data points.
These newsletters can be geared towards various stages of motherhood:
• Pregnant ‘soon to be’ mom: Targeted newsletters allow you to collect data upfront on
their due date. With this information, you can send them weekly communications on
what to expect each week of their pregnancy.

2. • Young moms: Collect the name and birth date of the young mom’s children. Engage
them by sending monthly topical newsletters that address the specific needs of a
growing family. From potty training to temper tantrums to learning ABC’s, the content is
relevant to the child and therefore strikes the right cord with the mother.
• Family help: Offer to help mom’s manage the demands of their households by offering
simple ways to get the most for their family while saving money and having fun. More
than ever, families are looking for ways they can cut back and save money.
Loyalty that Lasts
Building a loyal, viral and active consumer database happens over time. While brands expect
instant results from a newsletter campaign, establishing trust with your consumers happens
gradually. Consumers, especially moms, are wary of providing details about their lives (and
especially, those of their children) unless they see a true value to the content that they are
receiving and have built up a trust level with the site or brand.
The tipping point of growth for your consumer database can be the breaking point if you are not
cognizant of the risks associated with breaking trust levels or “selling out” your audience
database for a brand associated promotion.
Guidelines to Mom-Marketing Success
The communications and research you gather via newsletter outreach help develop effective
and targeted marketing, sales and messaging strategies across all media channels that drive
consumer behavior and retail activation. Today’s mom needs valuable information that helps her
take care of her family’s health, growth and financial well-being. By putting mom in the driver’s
seat, you’ll gain valuable insights into her habits while placing your brand in the discussion.
Keep these tips in mind:
1) Consumer trust takes time. Build a plan, execute, listen, and revise. Repeat often.
2) Map newsletter messaging to theme or life stage to better target your core consumer.
3) Put mom in the driver’s seat – ask her to share data with her friends and be willing to
“hear” the feedback.
4) Continue one-on-one conversations with moms to ensure relevant messages and
continued trust.
5) Make sure all branded promotions speak to your moms to keep them coming back for
more.