CafeMom: Where a Mom Can Be a Potential Customer

Pam and Diana are best friends. They know everything about each other – Pam was up all night with a screaming infant, Diana’s husband forgot to buy cereal, Pam’s anxious about the extended in-law visit looming, and Diana’s struggling with her new diet. But Pam and Diana have never met. In fact, they live hundreds of miles away from each other and have never so much as picked up the phone. But thanks to the “mom portal” www.cafemom.com, Pam and Diana have a place to meet and drink a virtual cup of coffee while dissecting the details of their lives.

Mothers have known about the power of “social networking” for centuries. Now that media has caught up with them, moms have become one of the most active demographic groups on social media sites. Facebook boasts a “Circle of Moms” application with over one million active users. Moms are active on Twitter, and www.twittermoms.com is a community of moms who tweet and blog. And www.cafemom.com has become the most successful go-to website for mothers, reporting over 145 million page views per month. In the inevitable intertwining of social media, there is also a popular “CafeMom Fan Page” on Facebook, and you can follow CafeMom on Twitter.

Have Some Mom Fun

CafeMom targets mothers of all ages and stages. Launched in December 2006, it became the most visited website for women within one year, according to Wikipedia. Members post their profiles, upload pictures, participate in polls, and keep journals. Once you join, the default option is for your posted content to be available for all members, but you can change your privacy settings to allow only your “friends” to see certain content, such as pictures. Similar to Facebook, you can then invite a fellow CafeMom member to become your “friend,” or extend a friend invitation to a fellow mom not yet on CafeMom.

Become a Groupie

One of the main draws of CafeMom is the plethora of interesting groups, guaranteed to meet your needs. There are over 60,000 groups – if you’re a CafeMom newcomer, pregnant, a military mom, a foodie, a Days of Our Lives fan, a divorced mom, a mom with a special-needs kid, a tattooed mom…there is a group where you can chat with like-minded moms. It’s a great way to meet people who are experiencing similar ups and downs as you are, and who are available 24/7 to listen to you vent or offer advice.

Promote Yourself - Carefully

CafeMom can be a great resource to target a niche audience and bring in new customers. However, tread carefully when using CafeMom to promote your business. It is first and foremost a place for moms to meet and chat freely. Be sure to read the Community Guidelines after joining. Specifically, the guidelines state that a CafeMom is only allowed to advertise a business or blog on her personal page, in certain flagged Journal posts, and in groups which allow advertising. For example, the “CafeMom Newcomers Club” welcomes outside links – whether to an interesting article you found, or to your business. So feel free to add a link there, with a short but detailed description about what your business provides. But toe the line – if a group specifically states that it is not for advertising purposes, steer clear of promoting yourself, or you will be kicked out faster than you can say “Wanna grab some coffee?”

Friends First!

Similar to Facebook, CafeMom’s primary goal is to connect people and encourage friendships. CafeMom knows that moms up in the middle of the night with a colicky baby just want to chat with someone, or that work-from-home and stay-at-home moms need some adult interaction during the day. Moms logging onto CafeMom want advice, someone to listen to them, someone to laugh with – they do not want to be preached to about your latest product. So be genuine. Make some friends, join groups, answer questions in the Answers section, comment on friends’ journal posts and write your own. Journals and groups are great ways to get the conversation going and get to know fellow moms. If you have proven yourself a loyal friend, then it’s natural when you let your CafeMom buddies know about your business, or a new product you are offering, that they will be excited to hear about it and want to help you out in any way they can. And keep in mind that it’s a two-way street – if one of your mom friends has a business, help her promote and advertise it. Remember to keep it real, and stick to the old saying – be the kind of “mom friend” you would want to have.

Widgets – Get the Word Out

One of the fun things you can do on CafeMom is add widgets, such as a countdown to your wedding or due date, various games, or a toy recall widget to get the latest recall news. And you can also add a “Links” widget, which will allow your CafeMom friends to access your Facebook or MySpace homepage, as well as your blog or website. And, conversely, if you have joined or started a group on CafeMom, use your Facebook and Twitter statuses to invite others to join you. Use your social media sites to stay connected with friends and customers.

Conduit Moms

With quick links to your CafeMom inbox and chatbox, as well as your photos and recent posts, and of course the fun gadgets you’ve added yourself, it’s entertaining and makes it very easy to keep in touch with your Mom friends all day (and night!) If you sell baby products, or any product or service that targets moms, both new and old, add a link to CafeMom on your own Conduit Community toolbar! Not only have you made your toolbar more engaging to your customers, by providing them with a quick link to one of their favorite sites, but for your customers that are not CafeMoms yet, it’s a great incentive to join. Invite them to participate in your CafeMom group, and if your customers have their own group or Journal, make sure to visit and leave comments. CafeMom and Conduit offer another great way to keep a personal relationship with your customers, a key factor in customer loyalty.

CafeMom is one of the best resources for all things Mom. Remember that the circle of mom friends you make are just that – friends first. When it comes to your business, treat them as you would your non-virtual friends. Ask them their advice and opinion, and offer discounts or sneak peeks at your products. Make sure they know that you appreciate their friendship and advice. Then, your fellow CafeMoms will be there for you and help spread the word about your business, through their social media networks and blogs. After all, when it comes to people who are loyal, who will push you, offer honest advice, help you out, and cheer you on – no one does that better than moms!