How to Market to Pregnant Women

Women are more social than men, according to sociologist Erika Salomon of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. They're also more likely to take to social media, according to a 2012 study by Nielsen. This social nature makes women a powerful, sought-after demographic for marketing experts, who recognize women communicate their product preferences to others. Because of the finite nature of pregnancy, women who are expecting form a valuable niche market. Pregnancy adds another dimension to strategic marketing for women because pregnancy defines its own demographic.

You don't need to persuade a mother-to-be that she is part of the pregnant niche market. Your task is primarily to get your product in front of them. Gift guides are a good way of doing this. A gift guide is a list or catalog that highlights products of a similar nature. If you are a vendor of multiple pregnancy and newborn products create your own gift guide. If you only make one product, get your item into someone else’s gift guide, either through paid placement or product or service exchange. Placing the gift guide online is the most cost-effective way to get your items out to the public. If you have the budget, then creating a paper guide would allow you to place them in large brand stores.

According to Technorati’s State of the Blogosphere for 2009, 77 percent of Internet users read blogs. Seventy percent of Internet users trust online recommendations compared with 14 percent who trust advertising, and 85 percent of purchasing decisions are made by women. Based on these statistics, it seems wise try to reach your demographic through a blog. A blog for your pregnancy products would chronicle the “life” of your business and goods. It is a place to explain your passion, not just your product. Place the link to your blog on all of your promotional material. Comment on other people's websites and add your blog URL to drive traffic to your blog.

Use social media to reach pregnant women. Pregnancy can be scary, especially for a first-time parent. Social media groups on Facebook will allow you to present your expertise in a nonthreatening and conversational forum. Using social media as a marketing tool requires a certain balance. You will need to ask your Facebook friends to introduce you to people they know. Facebook is word-of-mouth marketing times the power of the Internet. By having a page and chatting with your friends and customers online, others will join in. Post specific items, such as "a nurse specializing in lactation," and people will seek you out.

Your products are probably just as a specialized as the market you seek. Bring your expertise to your market demographic. If you are an expert at something pregnancy or newborn related, teach a class. If you wrote a book, do a reading. Put yourself anywhere that the expectant mother would be. Large motherhood stores will often allow classes or demonstrations if you do not charge, so take advantage of the opportunity to get facetime in spots where your demographic might congregate.