14 Feb 2024
- 20 Feb 2020
- 6 Min read
Industry experts outline which trends will affect the parenting sector’s digital marketing strategies in 2020
- by Emily Park
We’ve covered how all businesses can supercharge their digital marketing strategies in 2020, but there are also going to be industry-specific trends affecting strategies over the coming months.
If you own or manage a business in the parenting sector, we’re going to outline some of the market trends that should inform your digital marketing strategy in 2020. We’ve spoken to some experts working in this industry to get their insight and can also offer tips based on our own experiences of working in the digital marketing space. Here are the main trends that are going to shake up the way brands in the parenting sector promote their products and services over the coming year.
Sustainability will be at the forefront
There’s no denying that consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of their purchases. And, businesses in the parenting sector are certainly starting to feel the effects of this shift.
Sophia Palmer, Copywriter at JoJo Maman Bébé, told us: “We have always valued our people and the planet above profit, from blogging about how we make our recycled Polarfleece, to developing a campaign for reusable nappies and creating behind-the-scenes content on planting trees — not as a marketing ploy, but as a true reflection of who we are. Times are changing, and it’s time for your company to reduce, recycle, and respond.”
Are there any steps you could take to limit how much your work affects the environment? If so, shout about it in your digital marketing, just like JoJo. Could you create videos that show how the materials you use to manufacture your baby grows or kids’ toys are eco-friendly? Could you create and tweet out graphics that show how much greener your delivery methods are, compared to more traditional solutions? Could you create and direct people to a piece of content marketing about all the ways in which you’re striving to make your kids’ brand more sustainable?
If you haven’t paid much attention to your business’s eco credentials, it’s about time you looked at developing greener practices to show that you’re committed to running a responsible and sustainable business, as environmental cost is a key factor in buying decisions for 69% of Brits aged 16–44, according to research by inRiver.
It seems that the main concerns people have are to do with sustainable packaging and materials, ethical production, and the carbon footprint of the delivery process. The survey also found that 47% of people would be willing to pay more for upcycled products or those made from recycled materials, so moving in this direction can certainly be great for your bottom line.
There’ll be even more of a focus on trust
Trust has always been paramount when parents are shopping for products for their kids. They want to know that the businesses they’re buying from truly have their children’s comfort, wellbeing, and happiness in mind. So, it’s incredibly important that your business goes out of its way to show shoppers just how trustworthy you are.
But, now more than ever, building trust with your audience can really help to boost your online visibility, too. Last year, Google updated its quality evaluator guidelines to stress the importance of sites boosting their E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) in order to rank on Google’s SERPs. We have a blog post all about E-A-T ratings and how you can improve yours, which is well worth a read if this concept is quite new to you.
Essentially, in order to build stronger relationships with past and potential customers, make more sales, and improve your online visibility, you need to show that you know your business, products, and industry inside out. But, how can you do this with your digital marketing strategy?
Russell Davis, Director of Cuckooland, says: “We specialise in kids’ beds and so we know that we need to be experts in all that is associated with the bedtime routine, helping to get kids to sleep, waking them up in the morning, and so on. Parents will trust a brand and ultimately buy from one that has their interests at heart, and we have tried to adopt that into our business as much as we can.
“We know that we can’t pass scientific or medical advice to parents, but we can team up with experts and create a platform for the advice whilst raising awareness of issues that matter to parents using the vehicle of creative campaigns. As we continue to see this trend leaning more towards trusted brands, our marketing activity will reflect that.”
Here at Glass Digital, we help our clients to show they’re experts in their fields through our organic search service. Our content team help the businesses we work with to create articles and other resources that are relevant to their work. These will typically show the ins and outs of the products they sell and give solutions to problems their customers are likely to be facing. For example, for a company that sells baby food, we could put together a guide to ensuring a child gets all of the nutrients they need, or we might write an article on how to choose the most comfortable kids’ footwear for a children’s shoe retailer. This all goes a long way towards showing these brands are knowledgeable and have the right intentions, which appeals to both prospective customers and Google.
There’ll be even more of a demand for bespoke products
Personalisation is going to be a huge trend for 2020, and it’s expected that children and parenting brands will see a rise in requests for bespoke products.
Doug Cramond, founder of the baby clothing and gift retailer Made in the Moon, told us: “We are seeing an uptake of custom baby grows with a custom message. With this trend, we have made it possible to have more options and a wider product range so customers can make their ideal gift. As part of our digital strategy, we have put more time into our social media presence and keeping up to date with popular mummy bloggers.”
So, if you offer a personalisation service or you make pieces to order, now is definitely the time to start shouting about it. And, it might even be worth expanding your personalised range if you think there’s demand.
It’s easy to neglect certain products and services when it comes to your digital marketing so, if you realise that your bespoke service has been left on the backburner recently, start to make it more of a priority. Mention it regularly in your social posts, ensure you have a well-optimised landing page on your website, and think about creating some content marketing pieces around the topic of personalisation. We have a blog post all about the importance of content marketing, which explains exactly why this is such a vital step.
As Doug has mentioned, you could even start working with mummy bloggers on an affiliate or gifting basis. This is sure to encourage even more interest in your bespoke products and services.
Here at Glass Digital, we’re passionate about helping children and parenting brands to improve their online visibility, build trust with potential customers and, ultimately, make more sales. By allowing these 2020 industry trends to inform your digital marketing strategy, you’ll give your business a much better chance of thriving in the coming year.
If you’re looking for an affiliate marketing, PPC, or SEO agency that can help you improve your online visibility, get in touch to discuss your requirements today.
