Red Bank Area Businesses Find Local Moms Online

63% of moms now regularly use social media. And local merchants step up efforts to reach them.

Red Bank, NJ – David Burke’s Fromagerie, a fine-eatery in Rumson, might not look like the kind of restaurant that would actively court moms and kids. But look closer. Their Sunday brunch features a magician and a chocolate fountain, and “Sunday Suppers” are all about family. And how do they market to local moms? Online.

Recently, the restaurant came across Hulafrog.com, a social networking and ratings website with local things for kids to do in the Red Bank area. So it created a profile on the site and added details about the brunch. One mom read it and posted a rave review. Then Hulafrog featured the brunch in its “Our Pick” blog and emailed all of its readers. Now the restaurant never misses a chance to update its Hulafrog listing and encourages customers to review it online. Welcome to the new era of local marketing.

Moms control an estimated 80% of household spending. And with their time-crunched days, they now rely on the ease and speed of the Internet to make decisions about what to do, where to go and what to buy:

* After having kids, a woman’s use of the internet – and social media in particular – increases, while all other media consumption (TV, magazines, newspapers) decreases.*

*The number of moms who regularly use social media websites increased to 63% in 2009, up from 11% in 2006.*

*44% of moms go online for “word-of-mouth” recommendations such as ratings and reviews.*

Judy Musa, a marketing exec who works with David Burke Fromagerie, said, “When I was kid, I remember my mom talking to our neighbors over the garden fence about activities for my brother and me. But now more than half of us work, and many of us also volunteer. We’re busy and need to get information ASAP, so we go online.

At Fromagerie, when we wanted to tell moms about our new Sunday Brunch, we sought out Hulafrog and other sites where we could post what we offer to families. When Hulafrog made us its “Our Pick” we linked the review to our Facebook page and now manage our Hulafrog profile to keep neighborhood parents updated on what we’re doing. It’s the 21st century version of the picket fence, and an important and effective marketing tool"

Hulafrog was launched earlier this year to connect parents to kid-friendly events and organizations in their communities. Businesses that cater to kids, from dance studios and tutoring centers to amusement parks and private schools, are eligible for profiles on the site at no charge. Not-for-profit organizations that have family-friendly events and programs, like PTAs, towns, libraries and museums, also participate for free. The site earns revenue through separate paid advertising programs and upgraded profiles.

About Hulafrog

Hulafrog is a hyper-local ratings & reviews website with nearly 2,000 events and activities for kids in the greater Red Bank area. The site enables local business to reach moms when they are searching for products and services for their families. Businesses can log in to Hulafrog to update their own listing, add logos or photos, link back to their website, and post an unlimited number of events and activities year-round for free. For more information visit: www.hulafrog.com and click on “Hulafrog for Business Owners” at the bottom of the page.

Contact Information

Sherry Lombardi

Co-founder

Hulafrog, Inc.

Contact via E-mail