momgoesback.com

This page is used to submit class assignments.

Final Project

Section 3 - The Plan

Design

Some of the readers interviewed found it difficult to find posts by topic and felt the categories widget could be more prominent and more detailed. The font size of the category listing and the navigation bar across the top of the homepage need to be increased. The title and navigation bar need to be a little darker so they are easier to read. Graphics, photos and videos will be used on a more regular basis as these were well-liked by many readers and make the text easier to read.

Content

I would like to add a weekly or bi-weekly feature of stories from women who have made career transitions or are in the process of returning from career break, planning or going through other life transitions that affect their careers. The audio interview format could be used for women to “tell their stories.” Note this feature would not just be to tell the success stories but to provide realistic first-hand accounts of the successes and difficulties of career transitions.

I would also seek out women who have followed non-linear career paths, perhaps job-sharers, telecommuters and women with part-time or flex-time work arrangements. Readers could be asked to submit their stories offering some user-generated content to the site. Many of the women I spoke with were entrepreneurs or had entrepreneurial aspirations. On a monthly basis, an entrepreneur could be interviewed and their business idea and implementation strategy could be profiled.

I would also like to add a feature where readers could “ask the expert” for career transition advice. I was able to meet the authors of Back on the Career Track, Carol Cohen and Vivian Steir Rabin, both of whom expressed an interest in contributing to momgoesback.com. Vivian was the subject of my audio interview, which has been the most frequented post on the site. Similarly, a life coach who specializes in women returning to work, human resources directors, academic researchers or lecturers could be approached to make contributions to the site and offer their advice. I was able to meet several experts in this field at the career development conferences I attended who could be asked to contribute their expertise.

I would also like to expand the resources page on the site and categorize the resources by user needs. Additional books, articles, research, educational opportunities and corporate programs could be included. I am currently seeking permission to post an extensive bibliography provided by Harvard Business School and distributed at the “Charting Your Course” seminar.

Monitization/Sponsors

In addition to adding Google AdSense ads to the site, I would explore finding corporate sponsors to underwrite the site. Many large financial, marketing and consulting firms are actively recruiting experienced, educated women who are not in the work force but may want to return to work full-time or may be interested in contract work. Retaining women in the corporate work-force has been identified as an objective by many companies who have lost valuable employees that they invested in, trained, only to take career breaks. A corporate sponsorship would increase their name recognition with potential hires and give them access to this market.

Several of the corporate recruiters that spoke at the Career Relaunch Forum expressed that they would like to hire women returners but that it was difficult to find them. The corporate model traditionally recruits at undergraduate or graduate schools for recent graduates and recruiters are not used to having to “track down” a targeted talent pool. Sponsoring momgoesback.com would allow companies to get their name in front of the talent pool interested in returning to work or looking for more flexible work options.

Accenture, Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey Consulting, and Aquent are just a few of the companies who are actively seeking women returning from career break that could be approached for sponsorship. Similarly, flex-time outsourcers, like MomCorps, and career coach consulting firms may be interested in sponsorship. Additionally, business schools offering training for women returning from a career break or making a career transition could be targeted for sponsorship.

Building Audience

Several tactics could be used to increase traffic and build a loyal audience for momgoesback.com.

• Build community of users via direct contacts, invitation and word of mouth. Solicit email addresses and “invite” users to visit the site. Maintain contact with users via follow-up emails highlighting relevant, new and interesting content.
• Contact relevant magazines, Working Mother, Parenting, More, O, etc., with a press release about the site. Try to get feature story done on site. Local newspapers and the NU Alumni Magazine may be interested in doing a story on the site. The idea here would be to leverage my own, personal story (going back to school, work after long hiatus) and the development of the site, i.e., share my own story.
• Consider developing a companion quarterly or monthly print product to build brand synergies and to distribute to users or new users as an invitation to the site. Could be used as a platform for advertisers.
• Contact graduate schools and professional associations to solicit references to the site, i.e., get site announced in newsletters or at conferences. Contact career services at universities and introduce them to the site, highlighting its value to their clients. Ask them to share the site with their clients.
• Continue to explore existing online communities and post comments to and link to these sites. Expand beyond defined target to include the mommy and parenting blogs and websites. Contribute to other blogs. I have been asked to contribute a post and to be interviewed for the website, Work It! Mom. Actively leverage the online contacts made to date.
• Continue to attend career development conferences to meet women in career transition. The conferences are a rich environment for potential users and contributing experts.
• Consider sponsoring one or more of the Career Relaunch Forums or other career development conferences to get momgoesback.com name recognition and credibility. Partner with these organizations, ask to participate as panelist or exhibiting sponsor.
• Consider direct mail post card to contacts to introduce and invite them to the site. Coordinate mailing with a relevant audio interview. For example, the Global Director of Marketing for McDonalds has agreed to do an interview for the site. She is a mother of four who has experience with several different, flexible job situations and is passionate about the issue of women in the corporate environment. A well-timed direct mail post card or email blast could invite users to the site to hear her interview.