Mommy bloggers are a force to reckon with. That is, if you’re in the business of marketing products and services, especially those meant for kids, households, and families in general. Businesses are jostling for attention, in the hopes that mom bloggers would review their products or services. A lot of mom bloggers I know get a lot of freebies from foodstuffs, to spa services, to kids’ toys, and a host of other things. After all, word of mouth does carry weight, especially if hearing or reading something from someone you trust.
Ethical implications of online reviews (whether sponsored or not) aside, I do wonder what people think of dads who are bloggers. Perhaps I can be considered a “daddy blogger,” myself. I work and run my business from my home. My wife and I share the responsibilities at home. We do take turns in taking care of the kids, and in most cases, we also share the household chores.
Where do people like me fit in? Should businesses also be trying to push their products to dad bloggers like myself. In the course of my being a blogger, I have been sent product and service samples–some free, some borrowed. Some of these I have reviewed. But most review requests I get are for gadgets and software. I have yet to be approached for household products and kids’ toys and clothes. I’ve participated in food tours, though, which I think is a realm that mom and dad bloggers share.
I would think that dad bloggers are also a good target for marketing. For one, a lot of household purchase decisions are made by dads, or at least jointly by both spouses. For example, if you’re buying a high-end washing machine, doesn’t the dad have a say in that? What about the big-screen LED TV? Or the home entertainment system? Or the family car? Or how about the school you send your kids to? Sometimes these decisions can be on small items, like the brand of soda, coffee or cooking ware you use.
And as a guy, I do talk to my friends and relatives about these things. Hey, I’m proud of the fact that I bought a high-end washer. I’m proud of the fact that i grind my own coffee, and that I stand behind the brand coffee grinder and brewer I purchased. And I can explain the technologies behind these household gadgets. Doesn’t that count for word of mouth?
I’ve been reviewing some items I’ve purchased myself, whether favorably or not. Do my reviews carry some clout? Maybe to some people the reviews and opinions are useful, especially to those who are aware of what kind of lifestyle I lead.
Is there any merit to labeling someone as a “mommy” or a “daddy” blogger? Is there any use differentiating these from the rest of the blogosphere? Perhaps for someone like me, this might be reasonable. We all lead different lifestyles. Perhaps not all dads who blog are as involved with the home and household as someone like me.
Now the question I would pose to both readers and also myself would be the implications of such marketing efforts, and how these would affect our blogging. Would reviewing or recommending products make us less trustworthy, especially if people know some of these are freebies? Would you recommend something you wouldn’t use yourself? Would you feel bad writing a poor review for something that was given to you gratis?
It’s the classic issue of wielding power in the form of the published word, and how responsible you can be with this. And in the case of dad bloggers like myself, it’s being able to deal with different lifestyles and circumstances.
Image credit: flickr/marrymerry
Feeling stuck in self-doubt?
Stop trying to fix yourself and start embracing who you are. Join the free 7-day self-discovery challenge and learn how to transform negative emotions into personal growth.
