Twitter for mommies: Marketers love us, but who's got the time?
Filed under: Technology, Relationships
First, let me admit that I don't entirely see the point in Twitter for anyone. "Micro-blogging" might be the hyped tech du jour, but I don't see how it adds anything to the mix other than additional distractions. Now comes Mommy twittering. The Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital blog wrote about the latest mommy twitter attempt, from Today's Mama, a mom-centric blog based in Utah. Dubbed "Connect," it aims to connect moms via those infamous 140-character-updates. It's not a new idea, TwitterMoms, another social media group specifically for moms, has been generating buzz for some time now.
Forgive me for sounding like a three-year-old, but...why? So moms can connect? That's what parks and cafes are there for. Yes, moms have a lot to commiserate about. They're also busier than your average CEO and operating on half as much sleep. Plus there are usually no assistants. I don't know how anyone has time to tweet, much less anyone wrangling babies or small children.
My kids aren't babies anymore, but I dimly remember those days. Baby finally goes down for her morning nap and I can choose to use my now rare free moments to take a shower, do the dishes, pay some bills, straighten the living room, start a load of laundry, check my email, return phones calls, make some coffee or stare dully into the middle distance. When you add a second baby, you don't even have that small window anymore. Getting two to nap at the same time is like the planets aligning; a rare and mysterious occurrence. The pressure to tweet would become just another chore.
But apparently moms these days are able to multi-task better than I was.
I understand that from a marketer's point of view, gathering up a group like this in one "place" could be very valuable...or not. When Motrin ran a couple of ill-thought-out ads in print publications and on various mommy blog sites, moms on Twitter created such an uproar the company quickly removed the offending ads from across the blogosphere. The message here? Belittle moms at your peril. They're one of the most cohesive groups on the web, AND they hold major purchasing power.
I suppose then that there will continue to be attempts at gaining online access to this group. The trouble will continue to be whether they have the time for any of this. Moms who Tweet? What's your take?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-30-2009 @ 4:26PM
sarah gilbert said...
honestly, I love twitter, and briefly checked out TwitterMoms, but don't have the energy to spend my day chattering with other mamas about Disney and Motrin. I do get involved with friends on Twitter, but it's more virtual watercooler stuff and not finding new ways to connect -- and I *don't* need yet another service to find other mamas who are gushing over Mickey's ears and the next great work-at-home-mom product.
Twitter does one thing really well, and I can understand why mamas love it: it helps you feel as if you're part of the everyday lives of other people, which often you don't feel at all sitting alone at home with a few kiddos. it's a great way to celebrate the first time your babe says "i love you mama!" or to mourn your first trip to the emergency room without investing the energy and self-absorption to blog about it. but as a networking site, geez, I don't need any more networking. i'm networked up to my eyebrows.
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3-30-2009 @ 6:10PM
Jessica Gottlieb said...
I think I'm a member of twitter moms, they cropped up after the Motrin moment.
The problem is that mom bloggers/twitterers are baragged with PR requests all the time. As much as I'd like to talk about your juice and how it will make my child brilliant/rot their teeth less than the other/give back to the planet, I'm much too busy twirling my hair.
Every day women have babies, every year the babies start school. When the moms aren't overcome by loneliness and boredom any longer they stop providing free content.
So, knock yourselves out. Keep chasing the moms, the smart ones have run away already.
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3-30-2009 @ 6:40PM
Julie said...
Social networking certainly takes up a lot of time - naptime, after bedtime, etc. It is all about relaxing for me - I network instead of watching TV or having a hobby.
But personally I like Twitter a lot, and this service sounds cool. I used to participate in a forum on BabyCenter, and that was a huge time suck. I stopped doing that, and like microblogging better. Plus, since you can do it from your phone it is easy to participate in the conversation in short bursts...at the bank, waiting at school, etc.
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3-30-2009 @ 7:11PM
Ashley said...
FYI, this site seems to need to increase server bandwidth! Check it out later if you aren't getting on.
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3-30-2009 @ 7:56PM
Jesse Stay said...
I would compare this more to "Forums 2.0 for Moms" than Twitter for Moms. Forums have always existed, and have been a terrific way for Moms to communicate with each other and learn from each other. I don't think that will ever stop. What this enables is that Moms can now communicate with each other, real time, and organize their thoughts in a much easier way than they could before. IMO Twitter is too broad and too hard to organize a group of Moms around. I would never be able to get my Mom on Twitter. I could definitely get her on a site like this because it was built for her specifically. It also works on a cell phone so you can share what you're doing with like-minded people any time of day, wherever you are, even in a busy lifestyle.
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