It's no secret that when it comes to the planning of family photos (or let's be honest... most everything), moms are typically the ones contacting photographers & organizing everything. So it's SUPER important that we don't forget the importance of networking with moms. To chat about this, we invited Jillian Darlington to join us in the studio. Jillian is a mom herself, and the CEO of MomCo App. In addition to running her own company, she is also a SheKnows Expert, a member of the Today Show Parenting Team, brand ambassador, and regular parenting expert on Fox5 and CW6 News in San Diego. MomCo is a FREE app that allows moms to locate and connect with potential mom friends that live close to them with similarly-aged children and common interests. It's a fantastic resource for moms, and also a great place for networking with moms, as Jillian discusses in our episode! We have picked our three favorite tips for networking with moms from Jillian... check out the blog below! For more awesome tips, be sure to tune in to our full episode! Key Takeaways:

1. Find the Queen Bee. When you're interested in getting the word out about your business (or a special offer like mini sessions), don't just look for individual moms, aim to reach out to someone who is in a place of authority. For Facebook, this would be the admin of whatever mom group you're in. This person likely has a lot of influence over the members in the group, and the members are more likely to trust her opinion. She can also spread the news quickly to other moms.
2. Consider offering a referral incentive. This isn't a bad idea for pretty much any client you have, but since moms love to chat with each other about their experiences (good and bad!), offering a referral incentive is a great way to make sure moms are spreading the news about you and your business! This means other people are kind of doing free advertising for you & is a win/win for you & your client... you get more business & they get discounts or free prints!
3. Build mutually beneficial relationships to spread your brand. The more people you can have working for you and spreading your name around the better. A great way to do this in your area is to do a themed shoot representing a local business. For example, if there's a cute donut shop in your city, consider doing a mini session featuring their donuts. Be sure to tag them in Instagram posts, and aim to get them reposting and tagging you. By doing this with local businesses, you're also attracting the attention of moms & other potential clients without actually networking with them directly.

Jillian gives tons of advice for networking with moms, and she's fantastic with all things business-related, having started her own very successful company herself. Be sure to tune in to hear her entire episode! Relavent Links:

• MomCo App
• Julie Ferneau Photography
• Ashley DuChene Photography
• Chasing Daylight Photography

Download from iTunes Here