As Mommy bloggers steadily grow in ranks, the segment is beginning to wield more influence in both the blogosphere and on the web as a whole. And it looks like NBC is waking up to the potential power of this audience. The media company is launching a web-based offshoot of the Today Show, called TODAYMoms.com. Unsurprisingly, the site is currently sponsored by Walmart.
The site will offer parenting news, advice and tips from the show, and wants to engages web-savvy mommies in engaging with the site. There will be a considerable amount of web-exclusive content, and NBC says that they want to create a mobile destination for the site, and perhaps in an iPhone app. It appears that the site will be partly a social network, as moms will be encouraged to create a profile, share photos and participate in the blog via comments and reviews.And the site features a large amount of video content, which is partly on-air segments from the Today show and original content.
The “mommy” audience is a growing segment of web-users that are steadily looking to the web for advice, support and to simple express themselves. We just wrote about the fast growth of Circle Of Moms, a social network for mothers, has seen in the past year. And more Moms are turning to the iPhone and other smartphones to organize and manage their lives. It’s smart for NBC to try and engage this audience in a meaningful way. TODAYMoms’s interface is simple and could use some sprucing up. And the site would be wise to add a few interactive tools for Moms to use as well.
i think NBC needs to hire a SEF pro….don’ they know how to make URL’s over there?
agreed. having todaymoms.com redirect to msnbc “id/32378536/” is very peculiar move.
“and wants to engages web-savvy mommies in engaging with the site.”
Lovely prose.
Also: Go moms.
This is very exciting for moms, but this article needs some proofreading.
The site itself seemed ok, until I realized there was a huge fucking ad following me around the screen…
here’s a screenshot, absolutely ridiculous :
http://uploadrobots.com/ad.png
As a mom in marketing (hence the “MIM” title), I appreciate the web as a space to get exactly the information I need on my schedule and I love the opportunities for unique brand interaction.
I wish the Today Show’s site luck – the secret to success lies in unique, compelling content – balanced with an organic marketing message.
It’s amazing how many companies who want to engage moms call them “mommies.” Both the TODAY Moms site and the author of this article use the term. Mom bloggers have made it clear they despise to be referred to this way, leading me to believe NBC hasn’t done the most basic homework on this all-powerful consumer segment.
Oh ick. Does everything have to have the stink of Walmart on it?
What a horrible site. All that money and that is the best ObamaNBC can do?
I also think the whole “mom blogger” thing is kind of bogus as well. Most are John Chow in a skirt. I wonder how many are going to keep at it when the free shit stops coming in the mail to “review” with those new FTC rules?
This mommy idea is monstrous. Mommies will learn from each other and rearing the kids can be more successfl and less stressful if they are willing to apply the best skills. But the compensation must be attractive indeed! EyesOn Mommies!