I’ve participated in a panel discussion on pitching to bloggers at PodCamp Montreal. I’ve sat through a similar panel at PodCamp Toronto, and listened carefully to Kim Vallée’s presentation on women in social media. I’ve had countless conversations with bloggers who fit into the ‘mommy blogger’ or ‘women blogger’ categories, online and at different events I attend. Now, I’m gearing up to put all that invested time and research into practice with a blogger campaign that reaches out to (among others) this dynamic and powerful blogger niche.

Suffice it to say that I try to do everything I can to ensure I’m well versed on the subject. One thing I’ve learned over the years … largely by observing the mistakes of others … is that mommy bloggers can be a force to be reckoned with and are definitely not to be underestimated.

In my ‘travels’ I’ve come across a great blog post that all PR consultants should read, courtesy of Pierce Mattie PR out of New York and L.A.

Why should you care? The blog post answers this $100 000 (or is that billion dollar) question:

Shannon: Why do you feel that PR firms and various brands are pitching mommy blogs and placing more value on them than the average niche blog?

Erin: There are many reasons-most of which have to do with stats. Women control .83cents on every household dollar. Women are now the heaviest web users. Women are turning off the TV and putting down the magazine in favor of being online. Women are the best word of mouth advertisers in the world.

Jenn: Two reasons: First: Moms do the majority of the household spending and are the ones who are going to go out and purchase most of the things that we are being pitched. We are the ones who are making most of the house hold purchases. Secondly, many women/moms look to each other for advice and recommendations on products before they buy. I will definitely take the word of a mom blogger I trust over any pitch, advertisement or branding tactic that comes my way.

Elizabeth: Moms often make everyday purchasing decisions for wide variety of items and aren’t limited to a niche. With growing children, they will be making kid related and household purchases consistently over a long period of time. Additionally, moms are perceived as people who will talk to their friends about products and the reach is extended.

A new blog for my blogroll and words of wisdom from mommy bloggers to be applied to my upcoming initiative. I’ll come back to this campaign in future blog posts.