Blogging, Blogging Success |
How to start a Mom Blog
If you are just beginning your journey as a mom blogger, this may be the 87th article that you have read that promises to offer good advice. Here’s what you have probably learned so far by reading posts about the world of mom blogging.
1. Create a Niche.
Yes, this is sound advice, but if you are a beginning blogger, you may not uncover your niche for months (or years). After all, for your blog to have authenticity, you need to wait to see what comes up in your child’s world that you feel drawn to discuss.
For example, there’s no need to write about picky eaters if your child eats everything under the sun.
At this point, don’t feel like you need to be uber focused. Just begin writing and creating. You will uncover your niche at some point.
2. Be careful about what you reveal.
You do need to be careful about what you reveal about your children. You need to consider their safety as well as whether or not the content will prove embarrassing as they grow older.
While this is sound advice, don’t become paralyzed by fear when writing your blog. Write about how your three-month-old blew out her diaper while you were in Target. Will she think that story is embarrassing when she turns 14? Yes, but everything you do and say will be embarrassing to your 14-year-old girl.
3. Authentic Mom Blog Topics.
You probably have read a lot of advice about being authentic in your blogs. This, also, sounds like great advice. But if you follow a lot of mom blogs, you may notice that a lot of these women have seemingly perfect lives.
Hmmm. We are told to be authentic, but do readers want to follow you if your house and kids are always a mess? Aren’t we supposed to learn from bloggers on how to create the best life for our kids?
The Best Advice for Getting Started on Your Mom Blog
The best advice we can give you for getting started on your mom blog is to START! Quit reading all the input from the experts. Quit worrying about creating a style guide or finding sponsors. Don’t worry if you don’t have a niche.
Just
Start
Writing.
Here are some mom blog topics to get you started.
Introduce yourself to your reader
Tell your reader about yourself, kind of like what you would share during a job interview. Your potential reader may be more likely to follow you if she feels connected to you somehow.
Tell your birthing stories
New moms love sharing birthing stories. Share a PG version with your readers on your website. Ask them to write about their own experiences.
Tell about your childhood
For good or for bad, our own childhoods affect how we parent. It takes a self-aware person to realize this, so you may use your blog to sort through the complicated feelings you may have about your upbringing.
Write about your area
One of the best niches that you may want to consider is becoming an expert on all things “children” in your neck of the woods. You can start this journey by writing about local parks that your toddlers enjoy. Write about the “moms day out” groups hosted by your local churches. Share the best local pumpkin patches that offer hayrides and cider.
Write about your passion
Some moms go into the role with a drive and passion for one particular subject. For example, perhaps you are a former teacher, and you want to create a language-rich environment for your children. Write about your strategies for instilling the love of reading in your child.
Write about your favorite things
Have you found products or services that have made parenting easier? Write about your sleep machine, breast pump, pacifier, or meal delivery service that has made life easier for you as you transition into your new role.
Write about relationship changes
Perhaps you are starting a mom blog because you are staying at home with your kids. Write about that transition. What were the challenges? Do you miss work? What are the benefits for staying at home that you never considered?
How has your relationship with your spouse changed since you began your mom blog? Does he support your idea or have reservations?
Hopefully, we have given you some great advice on how to get started on your new venture. Remember, it will take time to gain followers and find your voice. But don’t fret. Enjoy the journey.
This article was originally posted at Mom Marketing Coach.
Blog Tips, Blogging Success |
Mom Blog Topics During COVID-19
Are you having a difficult time adding content to your mommy blog during this recent pandemic? You aren’t alone. While some infant and toddler mommy bloggers may be facing the same schedule, as usual, others with school-aged children are probably struggling to find the time to do anything other than homeschooling, cooking, ordering groceries, and checking in on aging parents.
We know that part of the problem with mommy blogging is coming up with unique topics to cover. For the first part of our blog today, we would like to share some topics for you that will help you support your readers during this pandemic.
Consider writing about the following topics:
How to explain COVID-19 to your preschooler
How to set up a work station for your children
Healthy meals you can make with the items in your pantry
Free educational resources available as a result of COVID-19
How to celebrate Mother’s Day during a pandemic
How to stay connected to grandparents during a quarantine
Quarantine and the only child
How to give your child a haircut
Tips for planning a quarantine birthday party
Parenting a child with autism during COVID-19
Homeschooling tips for the quarantined family
How to host a virtual playdate
Having a baby during COVID-19
Virtual field trips for your children
Games to play with your child during the quarantine
How to support your grandparents during COVID-19
How to stay sane during the COVID-19 quarantine
Maintaining a schedule for your kids during the coronavirus pandemic
Parenting during COVID-19
How to use a quarantine to teach your kids household skills
How to work from home with kids
Free websites with educational games
Neighborhood games to play while under quarantine
Helping your child succeed at school during a pandemic
Most of these topics could be covered based on simple internet searches or personal experiences. These topics offer support to stressed-out parents and provide them with tips on how to maintain order during uncertain times.
Avoid these COVID-19 topics on your mommy blog:
Perhaps you are led to cover more serious issues as well that relate to coronavirus. Maybe you have heard about a friend’s friend who was on a ventilator for 11 days. Perhaps you want to make a list of health tips that you have seen while scrolling through Facebook about how to avoid the virus.
While no one can limit what you write about, please be considerate of your readers. Unless you have a degree in medicine or another related field, please avoid giving medical advice to your readers. Unless you can link your advice to information on the CDC website, avoid writing about it. It’s socially irresponsible to spread incorrect information during a pandemic.
Also, consider the ramifications of writing blogs that promote panic. While you may receive a few more shares with such topics, at what cost? While you may not intend to cause anxiety to your reader based on your unsubstantiated claims, that may be what occurs.
Other things to consider when writing a COVID-19 mommy blog:
We are all affected differently by COVID-19. If you are a stay-at-home mommy blogger, your life may have changed very little. Perhaps you have the inconvenience of having to grocery shop online or having a spouse work from home. If this describes your situation, it is important that you realize how lucky you are.
Your readers and followers may not be so lucky.
Your readers may be suffering from a loss of income. They may be worried about making rent or house payments. They may be panicked on how to take care of their children and elderly parents at the same time. They may be worried about running out of essentials.
While you may be worried about the condition of your nails, other people may have loved ones with the virus. Always remember that thousands of people have died from this virus across the country. Those are your readers’ parents and grandparents.
Even though we aren’t suggesting that you completely change the tone of your blog, you may want to be more careful than usual before hitting the “publish” button on your website. Consider waiting 24 hours before sharing your work and review the material before posting.
We teach our kids to consider their words carefully before speaking or sharing something on social media. We ask our kids to consider these three questions:
Is it true?
Is it necessary?
Is it kind?
As you learn to navigate this new normal with your readers, consider the answer to those three questions.
This article was originally posted at Mom Marketing Coach.
Blog Tips, Blogging, Blogging Success, Mom Marketing Coach |
Become Local Influencer Mom Blogger
Marketing experts have conducted interesting research to determine how millennials pick products or services to purchase. It shouldn’t be a surprise that old-school forms of advertising do not speak to people in their thirties. Instead, they are more likely to be swayed by the advice of a knowledgable person in their circle of social media friends.
Marketing experts are using this knowledge. Instead of making appointments with TV stations to buy local advertising spots, they are reaching out to local influencers to try to develop a relationship. Of course, this relationship will ultimately benefit the company as well as the influencer.
How do you become a local influencer with your mommy blog? It is important to know that becoming a local influencer is not going to happen overnight. It may take years of work until you are in a position of power.
Here are some tips on how to become a local influencer.
Find your niche.
We have said it before, and we will repeat it. One sure-fire way to increase the number of followers is to find your mommy niche. The choice may be yours, or it may be thrust upon you.
Examples of niches may include
Children’s fashion
Topics about ADHD
Childhood nutrition
Vegan children
Kids with peanut allergies
Special needs children
Homeschooled children
Children with dyslexia
Children with sleep issues
Musical kids
Kids who love crafting
Children and horses
Teaching kids to garden
Teaching your kids about the tenants of Catholicism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, etc.
Country kid issues
Raising your child in an urban area
Kids who love soccer/dance/gymnastics/volleyball/football/wrestling/lacrosse/swimming
The possibilities of niches are endless.
- Grow your blog.
Work hard to give your blog some substance. Add photos. Write snappy copy. Give your readers valuable information.
This takes time and patience, especially if you have multiple kids or a full-time job. As you grow your site, you can scroll through your work with satisfaction. You will celebrate each time you meet a milestone of followers.
- Schedule a consultation with an SEO expert.
Once you have worked on developing your voice, consult with an SEO strategist. Tell the strategist that you hope to become a local influencer.
There’s no need to find someone in your local area. Instead, look for someone who can assist you with your content strategy. He or she should be able to give you a list of keywords and phrases to use in your blog to make sure it can be easily found by people searching specific kid-related topics.
- Improve your content.
Take the advice you received from the SEO expert to improve your content continually. He or she may recommend that you add more tutorial videos to add to your blog. Perhaps the expert will encourage you to develop Pinterest-worthy posts. Maybe the photography on your blog is mediocre and needs to be improved. Regardless, learn a little bit each day to create the best mom blog that you can. - Check out influencers from other areas.
Do you want to write the ultimate blog for parents with dyslexic kids in Baltimore? Check out the work that is being done in other areas of the country. See how other bloggers present tedious information regarding state education mandates and tutors for dyslexic kids in your area. - See what websites pull up about your subject in your local area.
Learn from the websites that appear on the first page of a Google search in your area. What type of content appears on these sites? How is the information presented? - Finally, reach out to businesses in your community.
Once you have developed a following and your rank has continued to grow, reach out to businesses in your community that serve the same population as you do. Discover ways you can work together to give your readers and their customers quality information that would be mutually beneficial to both of you.
Perhaps you will agree to share a link on your page for private horseback riding lessons in exchange for discounts for your child. Maybe a local kids boutique will give you items at a discount for a mention on your blog. Perhaps the local plant store will donate seedlings for your children’s garden in exchange for a shout-out in your blog.
Final Thoughts
Your newfound deals and status as a local influencer may cause you to relax a bit and not post as much new content as you did previously. Unfortunately, followers are fickle. Take care to make sure you are consistently providing brand-new content for your readers, so you can keep the relationships with the companies that you developed.
This article was originally posted at Mom Marketing Coach.
Blog Tips, Blogging, Blogging Success |
Your Mommy Blog and The Kids
We are living in an interesting time. Many of us clearly remember what life was like before the internet, and we can see how much has changed because of it.
This is not going to be a rant about the evils of technology. I love having access to the world’s knowledge at my fingertips. I love checking my bank balance and transferring money from my smartphone. I love being able to text and email people instead of spending time on the phone. I love keeping in contact through social media with grade school friends (and teachers) who live far away.
Although there have always been freelance writers, I can’t imagine how difficult it would have been to make connections before the internet. I owe my living to the world wide web.
If you are considering starting a mommy blog, you must love technology as well. You must be enamored about connecting with others who are going through the same things as you are. You may love the idea of making a few extra bucks through affiliate marketing or promoting products or services through your blog. Maybe you need a creative outlet because you miss the working world.
These are all excellent reasons to start a mommy blog. We support you on this decision, and that’s why we have created this website to help you on your journey.
But recently, we have run across articles about some of the negative aspects of mommy blogging. Some of the stories were written by ex-bloggers, and some were accounts of young teens who discovered that their childhood traumas and heartaches were shared with the world.
On the one hand, you want to provide your readers with authentic accounts of life in the trenches. You want to make connections with others who have similar struggles as you.
On the other hand, how will your mommy blog affect your child — especially as they become teenagers and young adults?
We don’t have all the answers, but here are some things to consider as you start in the blogging world.
1. You may have a difficult time determining what is embarrassing or not.
Most mommy bloggers would say that they would never share “embarrassing” things about their kids, but we all know people who do. We see it on social media all the time.
We cringe at posts from the mom who shares that her 16-year-old is “refusing to go to school again.” We roll our eyes when a mom writes about the verbal screaming match she had with her 11-year-old daughter. And then there are all the discussions about potty training, bed wetting, and other bodily functions.
The fact is that you may not know what is considered embarrassing or not.
2. You may struggle with drawing a line between helping others with their journies and oversharing.
Let’s say that you have discovered that a reaction to red dye causes your daughter’s bedwetting. You want to shout this from the hilltops because others may be having the same struggle with their kids, and you want to help them fix the problem. Doing so would mean that you are sharing this embarrassing information with others about your daughter.
What if your child has a learning disability? Perhaps you have discovered techniques or strategies that have helped your child. You want to share this information, but doing so will reveal to the world your child’s struggles.
What if your child makes bad decisions and gets into trouble? You know that many people out there have similar experiences, and you want to connect with them. How do you do so without sharing too much about your situation?
3. You may find yourself teetering on the line between authenticity and perceived perfection.
Since you don’t want to be accused of oversharing or posting content that could be embarrassing, you may find yourself only writing about those lighthearted parenting moments.
Instead of telling your readers about how it took you an hour to get the shoes and socks on your screaming toddler, you share about how your family had a magical time at the local petting zoo.
Instead of discussing how hard it is to be the parent of a goalie in soccer because you have to hear the comments from other parents sitting in the stands, you post photos of your daughter making fantastic saves.
Final Thoughts
We think that mommy blogs are a great way to share your parenting journey with others. We love how blogging can provide extra income to struggling families. But as you embark on this journey, be thoughtful of your content.
This article was originally posted at Mom Marketing Coach.
Blog Tips, Blogging, Blogging Success |
2020 Top Momy Blogs
One of the ultimate authorities on Mommy Bloggers is this list that is periodically updated. You can scan this list to learn about the content and focus of the websites. You can learn about how many followers each one has earned.
While this list gives a quick summary of information, we would like to share a more in-depth look at some of the top mommy bloggers out there. We will discuss their appeal, and what you can learn from each as you begin your life as a new mommy blogger.
Please note that when making our list, we tried to narrow our choices down to blogs that seem to be operated by fewer than five people. Some of the blogs that receive a considerable following have staffs of people, such as Scary Mommy and Moms Rising Blog.
We mean no disrespect for the women who grew those blogs from scratch. In fact, we are impressed with the work they have achieved. We just know that as beginning bloggers, you may connect more with the bloggers who are achieving some success while just starting in the blogging world.
About A Mom
About A Mom was created by a mother and daughter living in the south. The content is pretty straightforward. Visitors of the website will see recipes, simple craft ideas, and Florida travel tips.
About A Mom uses affiliate marketing links well. For example, in this post, where she describes how to make a sundae bar, she provides a link for the galvanized trays she shows in the photos.
She’s active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. She is savvy with each platform. Her topics may appeal to older moms and less to those who are just entering the parenting game.
One thing that we love about this blog is that it is well crafted. We know that she is trying to make a living by providing useful content.
We also like her writing style. She’s upbeat without being braggy. She asks interesting and helpful questions of her readers periodically. She uses photos of herself and her child, but we don’t feel as if she is oversharing. She makes no claims of having a perfect life, but you can tell that she works hard to provide content to make ours better.
Design Mom
Design Mom is a mother of six living in Oakland. She has won a ton of awards for her blog and has received serious accolades for her work.
Her blog focuses on interiors (she is a designer), parenting, foods, crafts, style, and travel. But most of her posts are hard to categorize. She has written about women who have lost sexual desire and dentist scams. She writes a lot about women’s issues, religion, and politics. It’s easy to get sucked into her website.
She uses affiliate marketing to sell products related to her life. For example, on one post about lice (ew!), she has a link to a metal lice comb from Amazon. Many of her blogs have no affiliate links, so the marketing side hustle is not over the top.
It’s hard to tell if she has a staff assisting her with her blog. It has a ton of content, but she’s been in the business for over a decade, so that’s not surprising.
We love this blog, but it may not appeal to everyone. She is “fancier” than most middle-class moms. Her kids are older now, so she doesn’t write about breast or bottle. What is most appealing about her work is that her topics are unique.
Baby Boy Bakery
Looking for sweet stories about a young family? Baby Boy Bakery offers a blog that describes life with young ones.
Written by a mom of two living in California, the blog focuses on family, food, and fitness. Besides covering these topics (that you would expect in a mommy blog), she also shares personal stories as well.
Instead of offering affiliate marketing links, she has a page on her website called “collaborations.” By clicking the “shop now” buttons, you can purchase jewelry, shoes, clothing, and swimwear.
Unlike the previous two examples, Baby Boy Bakery shares a lot about the children. There are many photos of the young family. She also shares cooking videos as well.
As a beginning blogger, it would benefit you to spend a great deal of time looking at the most successful mommy blogs out there now.
But don’t try to mimic these three examples. Find your own voice.
This article was originally posted at Mom Marketing Coach.
Blog Tips, Blogging, Blogging Success |
Has life been running smoothly lately? Normally this is something to enjoy and celebrate. But for mommy bloggers, this may mean you are struggling to come up with new blog topics.
You wait patiently for your usually precocious daughter to ask you a funny but poignant question, but she has been abnormally quiet. Your son doesn’t seem to be stirring up any trouble at school or in the neighborhood, and your inlaws have been vacationing in Costa Rica. Even your friend who is always complaining about something has little to say lately.
If life seems quiet and mundane, and you have written about all the regular hot topics of parenting already, here are some others to consider. Consider answering these questions on your blog. Ask your readers to interact with you by sharing their own responses to the topics.
- At what age should you stop co-sleeping with your infant?
- What is the best baby carrier for a busy mom?
- Is it ok not to breastfeed?
- How long should you wait to have a second or third child?
- What is the best National Park to visit with a 10-year-old?
- Who are the best TV parents?
- Is there anything wrong with using jarred baby food?
- Do you really save money by making your own baby food?
- How do you get a three-year-old to cooperate while taking family photos?
- When should I tell my kids that my marriage is in trouble?
- What are some craft ideas that won’t make a mess?
- Where can you travel with your kids if you are on a tight budget?
- Do we have to take our kids to Disney World?
- Who is the best fictional mom in a novel?
- How do I get my kids to eat vegetables?
- When and how do you teach your kids another language?
- Will teaching your baby sign language help or hurt with language development?
- How do we keep our baby from crying every time her dad holds her?
- Is it safe to raise a child as a vegetarian?
- How do you divide up holiday time between your family, your husband’s family, and your own growing family?
- What do you do if your child doesn’t like your best friend’s child?
- How can a stay-at-home mom make extra money?
- What are some gift ideas for a boy who only likes playing video games?
- Are trampolines dangerous for toddlers?
- What do you do when your child always wants to wear the same outfit?
- What topics do you tell your kids never to talk about in front of your parents?
- What is the best child-rearing book you have ever read?
- What is your favorite thing about being a parent?
- What do you do when you see a sibling parent inappropriately?
- Should you take an infant to a movie?
- What parenting decision do you regret?
- How do you encourage your daughters in careers when you choose to stay at home?
- Is it safe to use essential oils on your children?
- What is the best dog breed for families with children?
- How do you get a toddler to sleep?
- Do you parent your son differently than your daughter?
- Do you parent your older child differently than your younger child?
- How do you balance privacy with being protective?
- How has blogging made you a better parent?
- How do you explain a family member’s mental illness to your child?
- When should a child start doing his or her own laundry?
- Should you give your child an allowance?
- Should the stay-at-home parent be responsible for all household responsibilities?
- What are you hiding from your parents about your parenting style?
- Should you make your teenager go to church?
- How do you handle a difference in income between two close families?
- What are the best books to read with a preschooler?
- How do you get your child to love learning?
- How many extracurricular activities are too many?
- Do you feel as if you are a good parent?
- How do you help your son if he is afraid of the dark?
- How do you force activity on a kid who doesn’t like moving?
- What do you do if your child seems depressed?
- Do we have to teach our kids that Santa is real?
- Will I disappoint my child if I don’t have an Elf on the Shelf?
- Should you pay for our child’s college expenses?
- How do you save for your child’s education?
- What is the best parenting advice you have ever been given?
- When did you realize that your parents were terrible at parenting?
Hopefully, this list has given you food for thought on what to write about this week in your parenting blog.
This article was originally posted at Mom Marketing Coach.
